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These
stones were used throughout the country to treat rabies,
lock-jaw, etc., they were considered as being worth money
and were handed down through the family.
There were many reports of the stones curing individuals up
until the latter part of the 1800's. By the early
1900's the stones were kept more for a conversation piece. |
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The J. F. Fanning madstone |
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Rabies
(Latin: rabies,
"madness, rage, fury") is a disease that causes acute
inflammation of the brain in mammals. In non-vaccinated
humans, rabies is almost invariably fatal after neurological
symptoms have developed, but prompt post-exposure
vaccination may prevent the virus from progressing. There
are only six known cases of a person surviving rabies after
the onset of symptoms. |
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Hydrophobia (fear of water), one of the symptoms of rabies. |
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Snakestone
or in Arabic, hajar alhayyat, as described by the Arab
writer Kazwini as being of the size of a small nut. It was
found in the heads of certain snakes.
To cure the bite of a venomous creature the injured part was
to be immersed in sour milk, or in hot water, and when the
stone was thrown into the liquid, it would immediately
attract itself to the bitten part and draw out the poison. |
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...The stone had been wrapped
in a printed paper which declared:
“Francis Torres, a Native of
France, is in possession of a chymical preparation, called a
Chinese snake stone, which will extract the poison of the
bite of snakes, spiders, and of a mad dog, and will cure
cancers, which are sold at half a Guinea for the small and a
Guinea for the large ones.”
Dated Charlestown, SC, 1740. |
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The earliest mention of a
madstone in Virginia was the Fauquier madstone, owned by
James Smith of Scotland in the 1600's. |
 The rare madstone, reputed to be found in a deer's
vital organ [either the heart or stomach] is described as
usually being mottled green and white and as hard as a rock…
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 Also called a Spiderstone,
Bezoar, Oriental Bezoar Stone,
the stone was directly applied to the wound, and would
attach itself then drop off, after the poison was
drawn out. Then the stone was placed in a glass of fresh
milk, where green ‘curdling’ or scum could be seen coming
from the stone. |
Madstones of
Colonial Virginia
a supposed antidote to
hydrophobia...
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