Try a Madstone

Courtesy of the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C.

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Have you ever heard of a mad stone? This home remedy was used for centuries to heal though it's not a common practice today.

A mad stone (sometimes called a 'bezoar stone') is used to draw poison out of bites and wounds. It works by absorbing the poison bit by bit, curing the bites by detoxifying them completely.

• Mad stones can be found in the stomach or intestines of cud-chewing animals.
• Depending on the animal, the stone may be more potent and valuable; for example, the stone of a brown deer is said to be inferior to that of a white deer.
• Mad stones are not to be bought or sold; such interaction may negate their healing powers.

Naturally, the effectiveness of mad stones has long been in dispute. Can cosmic healing powers really reside in the intestine of a cow? There is only one way to know for sure. . .

Please Pass the Stone

Want to try a mad stone? The challenge is getting hold of one—since they can't be purchased for money. We advise traveling to the home of a stone's owner.

If you have experience with mad stones, please share your story or your stone in the box below. To learn more about mad stones, please see the 2010 edition of The Old Farmer's Almanac.

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