> As one source explained, the mad stone was "...so constructed with its innumerable cells that when applied to the lacerated flesh, it adheres at once and every cell exercises a suction power, but does not absorb any substance except Virus; because the cells are too diminutive in size to take in even blood, which is too coarse and tough to gain entrance."

reminds me of having to take activated charcoal for stomach troubles

iirc the mechanism was that, since the surface area of the porous charcoal was greater than your stomach lining by an order of magnitude (and since entropy pushes concentration towards the mean), it was basically like eating a sponge and having it soak up everything, including a large volume of whatever is irritating your stomach, so your body's defenses can focus on whatever is left