Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-09-13
0Nortester Qailg spy,



which were once subscribed to a faith in their
healing or preventive powers, When we know
however, that such men as Robert Boyle,
Bacon, and the learned author of Anatomy of
Melancholy, did not altogether discountenance
those charms, it can scarcely be wondered
that belief in their curative properties should
yet survive, and that in many a nook and
corner of civilized Europe people should still
be found who openly avOw the time-honored
faith of their ancestors.
The belief of Philosopher Boyle had been,
he assures us, practically tested, Tor a copious
bleeding at the nose, to which he had long
been subject, lie found his best remedy in an
amulet OF moss which had gr3wn in dead
mans skull. Burton praises some amulets,
while depreciating the use of others 81 say
with Renodias,' he writes, "they are not TO be
altogether rejected. PeOny doth cure epilep-
sy spider helps the ague, and precious
stones most diseases"
The earliest mention of the amulet occurs in
Galen He informs us that i'll the opinion OF
the Egyptian king Nechepsus, who lreigned
$50 B. c., green jasper cut into the form OF a
dragon surrounded by rays, would, if suspend
ed from the neck, promote digestion i'll the
wearer Josephus relates and it is an indirect
proof of the prevalence of these charms in
earlier ages, that when Solomon discovered
particular herb which he believed to be effca-
cious in the cure of epilepsy, he considered it
advisable TO employ the aid OF charm, either
to increase its poweg or to popuarlze its
merits. The root OF the herb was concealed in
ring, and applied to the nostrils of the ahiict-
ed. Wonderful cures were thus wrought.
The "Father OF History" declares that he was
himself present at lis successful application by
Jewish priest, when the Emperor VespaSian
and the tribunes OF the army were co-witness.
es to the experiment. More famous amuletS
were, however, those coins called the money
of St. Helena they were so named from one
side bearing the efiigy Of Helena, the mother
of the Emperor Constantine. They again, had
a special reputation Tor the cure of epilepsy,
AS SUCH according to Bozirus, an author of
the sixteenth century, one was worn by no less
parsonage than the Sultan Amurath. 1t is
probable that one Of our christian kings was
10 less believer, for in the wardrobe account
of the fifty fifth year of Henry III, among the
valuables i'll charge Of the keeper is enunera
ted silken purse containing mOaetdm .Sdactd
Helena. This appellation, DuCange considers
includes not only the money coined with the
image Of Helena, but that OF the Byzantine
emperors which bore the impress OF cross.
The same writer notices that nearly all the
coins Of this character which have been pre-
served are perforated near the edge, proving
the extent OF their former use as amulets.
In a very scarce work OF Reginald Scott, the
particular prophecies ascrl6ed to each kind OF
amulels are enumerated. An agate, we learn,
besides making man eloquent, procures him
the favor OF princes, and cures the bites OF
scorpions topaz restores the insane coral
neutralizeS the spells of witches for which
purpose it is still hung about the necks of
children; chalcedony makes the wearer lucky
in law, is OF force against the Illusions Of the
devil, and phantasies arising from melancholy,
cornelian stops the flow of blood, sapphire
expels govt, a ne, and endows the wearer with
courage emerald strengthens the eyes, aud
helps man to wealth. OF plants, heliOlrope
shameless the blood Hyacinth protects from
lightning. Dinothera hung about the neck of
any wild animal, will speedily tame it. The
herb lunara gathered by moonlight and
worn around the rist WILL according to Dir.
Willis, subdue ague Gray lunew0rt, applied
internally, will remove hydrophobia. but when
used as an amulet, will absolutely prevent mad
dogs from biting. Besides these, Scott men,
tions particular kinds of stone, taken under GER
tain circumstances, from the 6Uing bodies Of
birds or serpenls. "Aectorious," extracted
from capon four years old, will, when held
in the mouth, prevent thirst create increased
affection between husband and wife, and render
the owner invincible. "Cheelonius," taken
from swallow, is a sure remedy for meIau-
choy. To 'Geranitis" taken from Il crane,
and "Dragonitis," from a dragon, similar viz
tues were ascrlOed.
In Greece, credence in the curative qualities
of the amulet, though common, was not uni
versal. Theophrastus broadly declared Peri
Giles insane when that general was remarked
wearing an amulet. The dersion OF Theo.
phrastus does not seem to have affected Peri.
cles for we find in Plutarch that when the fl.
nous Athenian was ill, he mutely pointed out
his amulet to the friends who visited him, in
timating by the action not only the fact Of his
indisposition, but also confidence in the
means OF cure.
In Rome, on the contrary, amulets were Of
general adoption. There, plants gathered at
prescribed seasons were deemed of superior
power to minerals. Mount Cochs had an
extensive reputation for producing the mys.
terious herbs, but Mount Caucasus is mem
toned by Ovid as of even superior fame. So
confident were the Romans in the power of
their amulets, that when they failed in their
effect the mischance was attributed, not to any
default in the charms, but to some mistake in
their preparation. 1t is probable that, in the
opinion OF the emperors, this general credence
OF the Romans, by increasing the superstition,
diminished the energies of the people ; certain
it is that, from some cause, the emperor Car
acalla, in the decline OF the empire, prohibited
the use of anulets by public edict.
In Babylon, the wearing of amulets assumed
tie character of an institution, From Plu
tarch we lvarn that the soldiers wore rings on
which an insect resembling bee was inscri6
ed the judges suspended from their necks a
figure OF Truth composed Of emeralds and
other forms for various purposes were in COM
mon fashion.
A talisman differs from an amulet by being
more extensive in its influence, and more po-
tent in its effect. According to the author Of
Talismaus Justified, the principal authority on
the subject, taisman seal, figure, character,
or image OF a heavenly sign, constellation, or
planet, engraven either on sympathetic stone
or a metal corresponding with, or under the
protection of particular star. The most eel.
ebrated were those of the Samothracians, which
were merely peculiar images formed oi iron,
and set in rings The Egyptians had
variety of talismans, the principal being the
abraras a cabalistic word which was by Gus
tom at last applied to the stone on Which it
was represented. AbrasaX, or abraxas, is
composed OF the following letters, q, b, =, a, Z,
q, s, making in Greek enumeration the num-
Der 800 This word was used as a talisman,
by the disciples OF Basil, the father OF the
monks of Pontus. Sometimes, with the word,
the names of saints, angels, and even Jeho
YAH himself, were cut into the stone. Speci
mems of the abraxas as old as the third
century are still extaut.
To eggs which by some freak of nature
have been either curiously fashioned or mark
ed in peculiar way, talismanic power has
been ascrlbed. This sort OF lISuS nature is by
no means uncommon. Cleyerus, naturalist
of some eminence, describes ore he saw in Bata.
via The shape of the upper part as exactly
resembled serpent as though 1t had been