Snake Stone or Snake Eggs
“When the snakes entwined in a mass, they threw
off a number of these globes which took shape in their slime. By the hissing
of the group the ball was cast into the air, and if it is caught in a cloth
before it fell, the globe has the power to cure the bite of the serpent…” Pliny
the Elder 23-79AD.
“Snake Stones - Small rounded stones or matters compounded by art, and supposed to cure snake bites…Little perforated stones are sometimes hung on cattle to charm away adders.” Brewers Dictionary 1898
These beads (and fossil sponges) were collected as snake stones in Bedfordshire last century. To retain their efficacy they were dipped in milk, and the snake bite rubbed with the solution. Sometimes they were worn as charms to ward off snakes.