| Show jh 1 Tracing Tr cing the tie J JV of the I Jewel in the Toads Head i 1 I I 0 what Jewel Jw 01 or pr tone done t T To was wa when Tie he maker maltH mat the u exiled duke doke InAi In InAm InA I Am Ai A You Like Uk It If Ills hla hi rough mush life III In te tine forest of Arden ANen Ardenti Ardent I and dec luring that ty taut ha Ito It I I i r i i The rhe Th Hood trad ugly and venomous r Wears yet a precious jewel wel In IU hl hi bla blai hit t i head f 1 No doubt th unprejudiced render rear ir der I j wh hn n hn he h reads reM t I that there theN i ome me stone atone ton or body In the th read Head or of the tIe toad which wl ch chI l I Mil has a R r lai l or nr else aloe lIle won wu we be ber r 1 to 10 or medicinal properties And Ind 1 it t Is Ii I thai IbM tl l lI I tun if did suppose that thai 1 I such u a atone JI 1 I i As 11 n a matter of r fu I t there In Is I no nn tuna stone ton toni i or 01 Jow Jewel of un any kind In the head of the common toa load l any aperies peo of toad common a i burr I W This I la a simple uple I and certain result r f the th careful examination ex examination of ut the for th hi Ii ula l of ut Innumerable toads toad and nd I Is not merely common eammon knowledge hut bit iu lid at tally Jally t the th meet last word of or the t Rat i In these the days day of or nature natu study tudy tu ly familiar with toad toads and ami frogs fro and ad HI kindred beset beasts t tha have ha puzzled over oer words word and led that he h wa really re reo ft U tl tc th the beautiful eyes y e of f the th which art arc like gents If In color wad and brilliance This however la I nut not the case cew 1 if was ac a simply Imply ma making king inq use Uee of ur what wee waa w considered 1 to be bee e common knowledge In his hi day when I he mode the duke duk compare adversity r I to the toad tHul with a II manic magic Jewel In Its It Itt head bead commonly known a M as a toad t although that common ammon knowl knowledge knowlI I ese edge IraJ tui rt really lly not knowledge at all tut HIV an enormous uc mass map m of the th ac ae accepted current statement of o those tine times ol ut animals animal j plants Int and nd stones was vita an absolutely bI Invention such Huch balM baa beliefs wire were due du due to lot the I perfectly but reckless rt habit habitor of or mankind throughout loC Ionic ion age of or exaggerating end and building up marvel manI marvelous ous narrations on the one un hand and andon andon andon on the tho oth hand of or without any afy Inquiry and with delight and such uh marvelous nar ner narrations I rations by others Rath J i I er r or 01 gossip gisel concerning the th wonders wonder i of or unexplored nature consciously or 01 orum um mil l added a little lilU to tb the story nil as n by him I lm end and nd so au the th ilia as ac to marvels III grew T W mOl inoru and more inure and Interesting SCIENTIFIC It w was wa ac not net until the time of ot n Himself that another spirit be began beI began I gan to crt Itself that of or I whether a belief or orI I tradition In Is I actually a true statement I of or fact t and lid of 01 proceeding pro td ng to tout tot the I 1 belief beller by un on of the th thing I j I In question and wit nt by merely mely adducing UC log ing In the th assertions or f the th learned learn andau or of or Ui n rte Ingenious Mr tl Dash Doah I I In n the th seventeenth century the th op up opposition upI p I position to bl tide this method of or omnivorous credulity which Ill In spite of or t nil ull our hea aiming j I both the rich anti and tho pour d di i r In the purpose o of the 8 Society lely of ot otI I 1 I London JAndon for rOl tho th Promotion of or Natural I Knowledge motto wee was and m Is la laI I II I In verbs verba that Is I I AVe e accept no tea bAr titre I and original nr t rule rol Ui to be observed at tie its it wn wa that no one 0 sh U UI cour i hi hla opinions or narrate a mar marvel ma maI marvel I I vel but that any tr r who wished I to address the society should toting bring In that Is la to stY say exhibit an ex experiment pertinent or nn actual I i A now new the thA aril produced 1101 was waa wa nourished by this th thI I antl nU similar societies of or learned leaned I I men menAs menA the and As Aa A a I the Ih th cruel and boUr of nt r 1111 t and el leg legend nl melted 1 away like cloude clou l before berol the I rising Acing sun lIun In the th place 1111 dare of f the mad maA In InI maAt 1 nightmare of or fantastic Ignorance there 1 t grew IlIeW up the Ilse solid OlId body of ur unassailable I knowledge of ot nature and of or man omit which we wo call growth mode mod mh euth prodigious url stride In to the thelast th last laNt century that thai we now may lea l I truly said Bald f to live In the th of or a new ne newt heaven h and a new earth t f It wee wan all then a real stone tone called the loadstone to which Sh ke t lIr lIrI It 1 I mentioned mention in old odd I treaties t concerning th the m magical end anil I I lu t erti of at gems gem oboe and 10 n under uder its Ita tin name lapis lap J l 1 1 and ard wa all in also called Noaa Noes No Cr CrR Cral and It H was WAIl also a called arater lano lino and after a R aman gentle gentleman named who In man large one 00 reputed to have ha found roul 1 a II very ry power wt In I 1857 1457 in in the I translation by a person of or quality of the of or a R f Pouch sh i 1 we mid find mida lamed or of It produce 1 fO a 1 tone ton fl with their Iwo image sometimes It hath bath very verr great torte force fort t malignant tumors tumor that are ar They Th are II used 1 lo to heat It In ht a bag bAI and to lay It hot with between to 10 the naked iut tut ut anything hotly and lInd to rub the lIl affected Ice with It tI They rises fh say oy It prevails against of or witches l y rot tor rotI v women and children h bewitched bell hd Pct I to one on soon eoon n nfl II you al It i eventa to b nt many drops dl I In hi th plague t Is IN laid Inid to t the th heart to strengthen It Another n thI physician t of r the th same e Notes Nol and Queries fourth series sense see I volume 7 1871 1811 page MO MM ata t to be bt ber r l i by the th new spirit of or Inquiry I or he relates tho the oM old I traditions about the he stone and how he h tested tented them thorn themI I 1 THE TOAD UP that the th He Hp say fill It w wa wac report reported I none s could be bo cut eul out of the toad u Luu had brad h jd In the b k railed l Hortus Han dated dt there thre Is I a II pl tur now novy no before cru ni m me of f r a gentleman p it 1 i io o 0 this operation Uon ully u i 1 ia Ia a gigantic toad load lOur Our Skeptical ph M I Idan dan Mn Jan however h tines goes on un to say that thai I Ia r was a commonly believed that the th Stone tire art thrown out nut of the mouth hv ny old toads toad probably I the tongue mistaken n for the th stone atone ton and that i toads toad are a placed on a II place of H rod red cloth doth they will eject j t their loadstone but rapidly swallow wallow them again In her u re reone one can an eels selie 1 the th precious gem He says aay that when he h wee was w a II boy h procured an aged ed toed td and plat el iton it II iton on a red cloth loth In order to 0 obtain poe session slon of or the stone t He sat t up IP watching the th toad load all night but th toad did not eject J ct anything that time he lie says rys M t 1 have always alway regarded as humbug all that they relate reIte of the tile loadstone rind and of I IU Ith origin He H then de describe scribes th Ih Ihn actual stone which pasty passes as the i loud md eto tone or lapis and a that It Is I also Alen 11 celled called It or nr or His ha 11 description ex ca exactly x pond with Ith the t loo I Iton stones ton which Ire are well known nt lit th the resent rc ent day dy In of 01 old I 1 have examined IX tl of these th rin rings In the th British Museum through th tit of 01 u t Mr r I H Read Rad P H 8 Athe A Athe th the keeper of mediaeval mIval anil antiquities ml and four foil I In III the th museum u Oxford Two of ot the th these e are N of or chap chali I HItI d B Bony dony ony with a figure of a toad roughly carved on the th atone lOton and are RIP of a that ehul hll acter and nd origin different from th t h hoth others oth The Th others th which are the ti tr tn u nn and ami recognised loadstone or lap are circular slightly cons cont On a t stone or of a drab color and with t 1 smooth month surface They ar 01 arc discs being beng of thin and concave on the th lower surface which h has ha an upstanding rim I recognised them at once as ac a the tit pa Ii palatal latal atal teeth of or a fossil fish fth called allOO dotus dotu common In our own and and ond strata They were wre white whit and colorless In life lit but are ar stained d dof of if various colors col according to the th na nd nature turp ture ure of nf the th rock In which they are Im Imbedded m bedded A drab color like Ilk that of 01 the lie th skin kin of the th common toad Is b I given to h them hem th by the th Iron Inn salts present In ninny oolitic rocks rock those found In the th weald wald en n of or the th Isle ISIS of Wight are arf black blak That the th mounted In ancient rings are r really ny the teeth of a II aItch Itch Ian has ha been already aldy recorded by the th lIev It R H If Newell The Zoology of be the o Posts Poets 1116 but h he s seems ems m to tn o be bt mistaken In Identifying them with those th of the th as a They undoubtedly are art the th pa palatal II latal atal teeth of the fossil extinct anol 1 limb Ish h Before leaving the queer Inventions Invention and assertions of the old writers about hese the fossil rall teeth Ith which they declared to o be b taken out of the th toads head let I Ime me mo quote qu t one delightful passage from froma a Ii contemporary of Ou Lup Lupon I up upon on A 1 thousand notable n t ble thinK things of I sundry settee sortes Whereof her some come are Ar wonderful some strange some pleas plea 11 pleasant ant nt divers necessary Cury nt a great sort soil 1 and many very fJ precious IMS 1 You shall know he soy says whether the lie called be hi belie hithe th the lie right and nd perfect Ct stone or not told Hold the he tone stone before a toad so that he h hIn nay may In see It And ind If It be bb b a right and andrue true rue stone alone the lh toad will leap IMp toward to 1 It t and make as though thou he h would h ht It t from frum you he so s much that thai thata thaia a man should have that stone atone ton Thus wee was credibly told for truth hy by hyne II byone on one ne of or the French Bench nh kings king kin physicians physician l which affirmed that he did see the trial thereof hereof We e have thus before us II the U actual t thing called c toed and believed by ty and hl hI his H Hn to n be IHO found round In n the th head of the th trail tonel low did It come rom about bout that these th pretty pret ty y little 1111 toe fos f sll II teeth tt wets were given Ivon such uch an all erroneous history This intention was wea a answered by the lIP late Hev nv O e W King Kin Fellow of Trinity college Cambridge In Ills his hi book look on Antique Gem 0 London He lie II says I 1 am not aware 41 If It any y substance of a 0 nature In he r 1 now discovered within the Ille head or body r 1 of the th load toad Probably the whole story tol originated In the th name II Iton or Toadstone given In III Pliny to H It gem m brought from Copt 0 end nt so o called lIed from Its It resemblance to 10 that animal In ht color We have ha not It must moat be he noted any specimens specimen of or the loadstone at t the th pre pres present prent ent nt day actually known to have been n brought from It Is I quite pos pas possible po sible that the fossil was wa uh sub all ayes we ago for liters and was w never found It at t at all ell Whether that Is I so w nr not nol the fact rat Is I that Pliny never said Id It came am out nut of or a n toad but merely that It tl WMS wa of or the th color edar of a 4 toad The Th Pliny lIny referred to Is Pliny the Ih theElder Rider Elder the th celebrated d Roman Homan natural naturalist lat It who wrote n a great 1 treatise on net nat natural BI ural ulal hl history tory which we still dill and diet died In A I U D 7 1 whilst visiting the tit Ih eruption of Vesuvius lie He says U nothing noth nothing ing In or of f the th HH train lie being found noun Inside the th toad nor dun does he mention It ht Its medicinal virtues The name nine alone III simply Imply the th name tine Hie lh Reek Greek for fr toadstone was sufficient to lu lead Id the Ih ferUle fertile Imagination of the th mediaeval doctors doctor to Invent all 11 the theother tl theother other Ray nay O a t e II n F JI R H R III In X N American V Y |
