Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-11-12

NosrRUMs "A ring made of the hinge Of a
coffin, and rusty old sword hung by the bed
side, are in some districts charms against the
cramp; headache is removed by the halter that
has hung criminal, and also by a snuff made
from moss that has grown on d human skull
10 graveyard. A dead mans hand, and es-
pecialy the hand of a man who has been cut
down while hanging, dispels tumors Warts
may be removed by rubbing them with bit of
stolen beef; the chips of a gallows, worn III a
little bag round the neck. will cure the ague; a
stone with a hole init, suspended at the beds
head, will prevent nightmare. Many verses
are known, which, if repeated aloud are credl-
ted with curing cramp burns, and other bodily
trouble. When you have the whooplng- cough,
apply for remedy to the first person you meet
with riding on a piebald horse-a ceremony
that DR.. Lettsom, the physician, was fated
more than once to become acquainted with.
Amulets, hung in little bag around the neck,
are very widely credited with the power OF
warding off disease; the list of such sub
stances is an ample one, but need not be given
} here. The anodyne necklace, which wasa pro-
ftable affair for one DIR. Turner In the early
part of the present century, consisted of beads
Elade OF white bryony root 1t was believed to
assist in cutting the teeth of infants around
whose neck it was hung. Que peculiar kind of
amulet is the phylactery, bit of parchment on
which few sacred words have been written if
worn on the person. it is safeguard against
disease and calamity, The Jews in the East
used to carry such an amueet written with
Hebrew verse from the Bible and some Of the
MahomedanS with an Arabic sentence from the
Koran. A horseshoe is perennial taVOrlte,
as a bringer OF success. Doctor James picked
up horseshoe on Westminster Bridge, and
put it in his pocket; that same evening he made
profitable commercial arrangement concern
ing his famous fever powders, which he ever
afterwards attributed to the horseshoe. ALL
the Year Round.
AN EXTRA SEssIoN.-.The Richmond cor
respondent OF the Petersburg Appeal calls at
teptIon to the fact that the Constitution pro-
vides that the returns of votes cast for Gov
ernor and Lieutenant Governor shall be Open
ed by the General Assembly. When this pro-
vision was made it was contemplated that the
General Assembly should meet 10 December
but recent law having changed the time OF
meeting to the first of January, that day vii!
be q busy one for the incoming Legislature.
The General Assembly must meet and organize,
the returns be opened and canvassed, and the
Governor inaugurated on the same day. In
view Of these facts it is suggested by some that
the Governor ought to call special session of
the Legislature, aud this may be done. In
such case the date of the special session would
probably be late in December, and the only
business to be transacted would be an examiua-
too of the returns, The expense to the State
would be but little more than usual
The constitutional provision referred to would
have prevented any official returns of the vote
for Governor being made public until two
months after. the election, had not the Secretary
OF the COMMONWEALTH devised way to crafty
the desire of the public in the matter He re-
duplicates of the returns Of the General Assem-
LIZ, and these are now coming in rapidly.
cEtiy-txo are already on file, and it is thought
that all would be received by last night