Disttibution of Pearls and Pcarl-sJiell. 91 



originate in whales are agreeably round, but not highly 

 lustrous." " "Pearls which originate in the crest of Serpents, 

 are beautifully round .... the serpents who bear them 

 are the descendants of Vasuki, sovereign of the snakes, 

 are not born everywhere, and are rarely seen by men in 

 some sacred ground.""' "Pearls which originate in the 

 Bamboo are clear as the moon, and are like the Kakkol 

 fruit in shape." 



The same Indian authority says further, " In certain 

 places pearls are found on the head of frogs ; learned 

 men class them with serpent-pearls." This prominent 

 Indian belief which makes the head of the frog or 

 toad Nature's laboratory for the manufacture of pearls, 

 was at one time widely prevalent in the British Isles. 



This idea is immortalized in the familiar lines of 

 Shakespeare — 



" Sweet are the uses of adversity, 

 Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, 

 Wears yet a precious jewel in his head." 



On the Indian idea of the supposed medicinal proper- 

 ties of pearls the Rajah Sourindro Mohun Tagore has 

 much to say in the work already quoted. The burnt 

 powder of these gems, if taken with water, cures hemor- 

 rhages, prevents evil spirits working mischief in men's 

 minds, cures lunacy and all mental diseases, jaundice, 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 diseases. And so on, 



In addition to the pearls themselves, the burnt pearl- 

 shells are also looked upon as efficacious in the cure of 

 many ailments ; but chank-shell powder appears to sur- 



°' Plin)-, "N. H.," bk. ix.. ch. 24, mentions fish which have a "stone" 

 in the head. He refers doubtless to the ear-bones or otoliths. 



" ' Is this a confusion of the pearly-like granules and shields found in 

 slugs, the 'snail-stones' credited with the propert)' ofstrengthening eyes, etc. ? 



