Back before there was a preventative vaccination, and before the vaccine had made its way to the Ozark hills and hollows, the deadly threat of rabies was very real.
By the time human beings exhibit symptoms, the end result of contracting the virus, usually transmitted through animal bites, is oftentimes fatal.
Never fear, though. The Ozark hillman and hillwoman of yesteryear had a cure that Louie Pasteur himself would have been proud to use: madstones.
Now what, you might ask, is a madstone? I asked the same question. Believe it or not, madstones do exist, although their curative powers might be questionable.
Madstones, also called bezoar stones or enteroliths, are mineral deposits sometimes found in the bowels of herbivore animals, such as cows and deer, and compacted into a rock-like substance.
