Glossopetrae, ‘Tongue Stones’ (Burges Collection of Materia Medica, late 1700s)

Description

These shark teeth have been mounted in silver casings for use as medicinal amulets. The name ‘tongue stone’ comes from the New Testament story of St Paul, who was bitten by a snake after being shipwrecked on Malta. He cursed the snakes of the island and they lost their eyes and tongues. Later travellers found fossilised shark teeth and thought they were the tongues of the cursed snakes. They were believed to have special powers against poisons.