For centuries, any European concert violinist who had his act together would keep in his instrument case the violin itself, a bow, a live toad, spare strings, and a lump of rosin-impregnated beeswax. You might think that he would also carry replacement filaments for his bow, but bow repair can get sort of hairy and was generally done by a specialist and not by the musician himself.
The toad? The common toad a/k/a the European toad (Bufo bufo) secretes a toxin in its skin called, appropriately enough, bufotoxin. Savvy violinists would rub the toad with their hands right before playing, and the toxin would inhibit perspiration and prevent slippery fingers--thus allowing the violinist to provide a ribbiting performance.
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