Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-09-10
Some Irish Cures.

Some of the cures aud charms so
generally used by middIe-aged old
people among the peassntry of the
County Donegal, Ireland, are very
queer. There is depth of supersti-
ton about them which seems to be alb
soluteiy fathomless. A good deal of
really useful knowledge relating to
herbs is overlaid with superstition; but
magic and witchcrait, pure and simple,
have far the greatest number OF
votaries.
To begin with rheumatism the cem-
monest i'll to which our flesh is heir in
this damp climate. Several quaint
cures are advocated by the old people.
An old woman, who is not sure of
her exact age, bat says she was born
ID the frat year Of the uniting" told
the writer the following story.
my grandmother" she began,
% was that sfaicted wi the pains that
she couldnA lift her hand to her head.
One day poor woman, looking for her
bis. Game in an took a seat by the fire,
an while she was there the grand
mother reached up to the shelf for
her Knitting. an she groaned and la
Mented when she moved her arm.
Good woman, says the poor auld wife,
I'm sorry to see you the way you are.
What 10 it ails your VII that nv
grandmother told her all about the
pains, an she bid her get frogs spawn
out y the dikes, an put it in q crock,
wi slate on tho top of it, an bury it
for three months in the garden, then
take it up an rub the pains wi what
she'd end in the crock.
It was done, an vt the end o. the
three months the crock was dug up. an
the finest water was in it. heerd INV
mother saying that they persevere.l
rubbing wi the water, an the old
woman got rid of rheumatics."
Another cure for rheumatism is to
take the patient in an ass cart, and
drive him for half . day over the
toughest ground that can be found.
4 third cure has quite cruel sound
At wake in Fannet, wild region on
the Donegal coast, . man, bent almost
double, and lettering slowly, supported
by his stick, entered the house. AND
sat down by the fire. He was neigh
bor Of the bereaved family, so that thu
people smeking round the hearth were
mot surprised to see him. It was thu
day OF the funeral; the coffin had ar
rived, and the dead man was about tt
be laid within it. But before they
raised him fro.i the bed, the crippled
man crept over, and taking the hand O
the corpse. applied it to his arm, to hi
shoulder, and to his leg, saying
TAX nay pains wi you, Thady, in til,
name Of God"
The neighbors aud family stepped
back, Whispering: "Poor Donald
Poor cratbur, he's sore sflicted wi th,
pains: Why wouldn't he try tb,
cure7" Again. when the coffiA wa,
being lifted over the Threshold, Don
aid called after it, "Tak' my pains wi
you. Thady, in the name of God"
Was the cure successfully" ",
VIC asked our informant.
Gay. Donsld threw away the stick
an walked ss weel'sI do; but sure i
was Q harsh, unieeling thing to do
I'd sooner ha' suffered the pains"
Donald, who tried the cure, ani
Kitty, who told US of it, are Roman
Catholics, and their idea probably wa,
that the pains OF rheumatism would
be an imperceptible addition to those
of purgatOry. Bot selfish willing
ness On the part OF the people to be
queath their own suff4rings to other,
crops out in a good many of the
country cures aud charms. In Letter
kenny and its neighborhood person
who 10 troubled with warts steals 3
EsgEp Of raw beef 1.-THE charm IS u.,!e..
If The beef be obialned i'll any hon
est way). rubs his warts with it
and buries II where four road c. =