Pistiibitlioti of Pearls and I\-ai l-slicll. 91 



oris;inate in whales are a<jreeabl\- round, but not hii;hly 

 lustrous." '• "Pearls which orii^inate in the crest of Serpents, 

 are beautifull\- round .... the sci-pents who bear them 

 are the dcsceiulaiits of X'/isuk-i, sox-erei-^n of the snakes, 

 are not born ever\-\vhere, and are rarely seen by men in 

 some sacred around."'" "Pearls which orii^inate in tiie 

 l^amhoo are clear as the moon, and are like the Kakkol 

 fruit in sliape."' 



The same Indian authority says further, '" In certain 

 places pearls are found on the head of froths ; learned 

 men class them with serpent-pearls." This prominent 

 Indian belief which makes the head of the froj^f or 

 toad Nature's laborator\' fiM' the manufacture of [)earls, 

 was at one time widel)' prevalent in the Pritish Isles. 



This idea is immortalized in the familiar lines tif 

 Shakespeare — 



" Sweet are the uses of adversity, 

 Whii-h, like the toad, ugly and venomous, 

 Wears yet a j)recious jewel in his iiead." 



On the Indian idea of the supposed medicinal [)roper- 

 ties of pearls the Rajah Sourindro Molum Tat^ore has 

 much to sa\^ in the work already quoted. The biniit 

 [)owder of these gems, if taken with water, cures hein(jr- 

 rhages, prevents evil spirits working mischief in men's 

 minds, cures lunac\' and all mental diseases, jaimdice, etc.. 

 etc. Used as a dentifrice it strengthens the gums and 

 cleans the teeth. Rubbed over the body with other medi- 

 cines it cures leprosy and all skin di.seases. And so on, 



In addition to the pearls them.selves, the burnt pearl- 

 shells are als(< looked upon as efficacious in the cure of 

 main- ailments ; l)ut chank-shell pou'der a[)pears t<j sur- 



•■■• riin\, -'N. II.,' Ilk i\.. cli. 24, iiienti..n.s ll>li whkli liave a ••>tonc" 

 in \\\t liead. lie refers d<>ublle>s to tlie ear-l)<»ncs or ottjlillis. 



"' Is tliis a C(jnfusi()n of the pearly-like granules and shields fouml in 

 slugs, ihe 'snail-stones' crediled with the properly of slnnt^lheningrye-, etc. .■' 



