TOAD-STONE, | NATURAL HISTORY. B13 
AA coop way to get the stone called crapaudina out of 
the toad: put a great, or overgrown toad (first bruised in 
divers places) into an earthen pot, and put the same in an 
ants’ hillock, and cover the same with earth, which toad at 
length the ants will eat, so that the bones of the toad and 
stone will be left in the pot, which Mizaldus and many 
others hath oftentimes proved. 
Lupton, “Notable Things,” bk. vii. § 18. 
You shall know whether the Toad-stone called crapaudina 
be the right and perfect stone or not: hold the stone 
before a toad, so that he may see it, and if it be a right 
and true stone, the toad will leap toward it, and make as 
though he would snatch it from you; he envieth so much 
that a man should have that stone. This was credibly told 
Mizaldus for truth by one of the French King’s Physicians, 
which affirmed that he did see the trial thereof. 
Tbid., bk. vii. § 79. 
THERE is a precious stone in the head of a toad, and 
there be many that wear these stones in rings, being verily 
persuaded, that they keep them from all manner of gripings, 
and pains of the belly. But the art is in taking it out, 
for it must be taken out of the head alive, before the toad 
be dead, with a piece of cloth of the colour of red ‘scarlet, 
wherewithal they are much delighted, so that while they 
stretch out themselves as it were in sport upon that cloth, 
they cast out the stone of their head, but instantly they 
sup it up again, unless it be taken from them through 
some secret hole in the said cloth, whereby it falleth into 
a cistern or vessel of water, into the which the toad dareth 
not enter, by reason of the coldness of the water. Now 
stones are engendered in living creatures two manner of 
ways, either through heat, or extreme cold, as in the snail, 
perch, crab, Indian tortoises and toads; so that by ex- 
tremity of cold this stone should be gotten. In the 
presence of poison it will change the colour. 
Topsell, ‘‘ History of Serpents,” p. 727. 
[Topsell is neither for nor against the existence of this 
stone, but he cannot believe that it is generated by cold, be- 
cause the stone is hard.] 
