Mountain Democrat., 1857-07-18
Blood Raths.


ing virtues OF human blood appears tc
have existed from very remote times, un.
Ill, comparatively, a recent period, That
it prevailed amongst the Egyptians We
learn from Pliny, and the idea seems to
have been borrowed from them by No
scs, although it became raOditicd in his
code, the blood of animals being substi.
tuted for that of human beings. In the
twcnty-eighth book of the Natural His.
tory" of the Roman author we find a
curious account of leprosy, which con-
cludcs thus:-"A peculiar lnalady is this
and natural to the Egyptians; but when
any of their Kings fell into it, woe to
their subjects and poor people, for then
were the tubs and battling vessels,
wherein they sat in the bath, filled with
menS' blood for their cVre.'
But the remedial powers of human
blood were not supposed to be confined
to cases oflcprosy alone; it was medicine
of universal pPIieatiORJ- fancy which
probably grew out Of some vague notion
that the vital principle resided in this
fluid.
1t is q singular fact that while the Jew
ish legislator impaired a sacriicial virtue
to the blood of animals, the Romans
should, on the contrary, have adopted a
belief the very reverse. According to
tho Pagan theory, the Blood of horses is
vcnonlous, and that of bulls is no better,
except at Egeria, city Of Achaia,
though why this spot should be an OBJ
lection to the general rule, the Romon
naturalist does not inform us. Goats
blood he also dcnOunccs, and adds
that it is SO strong, nothing in the world
will sharpen the edge Of an iron tool
sooner, nor harden it when keen and that
it will polish steel better than any file.
The Christians in the middle ages un-
accountably adopted the Pagan rather
than the Jewish belief The Emperor
Constantine, it is true, was restrained
from using this revolving remedy in con-
sequence of vision, and is said to have
been cured by baptism; but the use Of
the blood.bath seems to have been by far
too common both in ancient times and in
the middle ages.
In the time Of the great lcprosy the
belief must have given occasion to num-
berleSS cruelties, moro especially as chill.
drcn and maidcns were the objects of it
"a class the least likely to escape from
the sacrifice demanded of them. After
a time, however, it received check, from
an opinion gradually gaining ground that
only the blood Of those would be ctfica-
cions, who offered themselves freely for
beloved sufferer One of the most beau
tiful poems of the thirteenth century,
written by Hartman Won Der Anc, gives
proof of the popular notions Of the peri
od. The outlines of the story are nearly
as follows:-"A 4 Swabian knight, whopos-
scsscs wealth, rank, fame-all in short
that could make life desirable, is on the
sudden seized with lCproSy. In order to
escape the civil death, which was one of
the most terrible results of the disease,
he roams through the world in the hope
Of somewhere finding remedy, and
Montpelier being in those days famous for
its physicians, it is there that he first
seeks assistance. They pronounce his
case to be beyond their art, and he then
repairs to Salerno, where he is made ac-
quainted with the apparently hopeless
means Of cure-namcly, that he should
bathc in the blood of some child, or Of
some virgin, who shall submit to be
willing sacrifice. Sad at heart he re
turns home, with the conviction that
such terms Of cure leave him no hope,
and he therefore prepares himself to sor-
row out the remainder of his days in SOL
itude. 1t is now that a girl of twelve
years of age, the daughter Of a country
man, conceivcs q passion for the knight
while attending upon him, and accilen-
tally hearing of this frcc-will offering, de-
tcrmines to become his sacrifice. The
knight, struck by the poor girls attach
mcnt, at first refuses to avail himself of
it, but her devotion is proof against all
persuasions, and they set out together for
Salerno, tho site of celebrated medical
institution established by the Bencdic-
tine monks. The fatal catastrophe, how
ever is avcrtcd by the Knights recovery
through other means, and in requital for
SO much love he gives his hand to the
maiden in marriage"
The story Of Amicus and Amclius is
another Of the same kind; and there is n
similar tale related of Louis XI., having
mind to avoid his approaching death by
uEltINltik OAO uIVVu vi yONi6 OHhNASn'
The account given Of the last hours of
this king by the historian Gaguin bears
testimony to this fact of the blood-drink.
He thus states it:-''l}ut his disorder still
grew upon him, and in this year, 1448,
imploring high and low the aid of God
and man, he commanded that they should
bring to Tours the sacred liquor, which
It is said was sent from heaven to annoint
King Clovis in his city Of Rheims Be-
sides this, no had from the holy chapel at
Paris the rod of the high priest Aaron,
which many affirm to have been divinely
given to Charlemagne. But there was
nothing that could put off the appointed
hour. Every day he grew worse and
worse, and the medicines profited him no.
thing, though Of q strange character, for
he vehemcntly hoped to recover by the
human blood which no drank and swal-
lowed from certain children. But he
died at Tours"
Friendship is vase which. when it is
flawed by heat, or violence, or accident,
may as we'll be broken ut once; it never