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Jaw of Sea Wolf (Burges Collection of Materia Medica, late 1700s)

© 2021 Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Description

The label on this specimen identifies it as the jaw of a wolf fish (Anarhichas lupus), ‘whose molar teeth are commonly called Toad Stones’. Toad stones were believed to come from the heads of toads – hence the name – but were actually the small round teeth of fish. They were said to be powerful poison antidotes, sometimes even ‘sweating’ in the presence of poisonous substances, and so were highly prized and considered gemstones.