Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-11-08
Superstition.

| There IS no limit 10 human 0euullty.
The healing wells in Scotland used to
be greatly resorted to. Some OF these
wells were surrounded by stones shaped
like the several parts OF the human
body, called the "eyc stone" the
"head-stone," and so on, and it was q
necessary part Of the treatment after
washing with water, TO rub the part
affected against the stone that bore the
same form. This is the superstition OF
the Wi stone in the new Hebrides
Some offering was always lief, behind by
those who tried the curing powers OF
the waters, even il il were only 3 rag
from the patients clothes.
These tributes were hung mp near
the we'll, and every one abs.ained from
disturbing them, "a il was believed that
whoever did so would get the disease
that had been cured in the former pa
tient. Just the same sort OF thing was
done as early as the time OF the Romans
yotive offerings OF hands feeL almost
every part Of the body, have been cI-
cavated in TIE island sacred to Escula-
Plus in the Tiber. The mode OF cure
in vogue then, however. was FOR the
patient TO go to sleep on the sacred
spot, when il was revealed to him in q
vision what he must do to insure recoy-
cry. Among the cures for the whoop-
ing-cough, which are very numer-
Gus and improbable, We do no: obs, rye
one which was in favor in some parts o.
Scotland. This was 10 sew living
caterpillar between two pieces OF han-
mel, and wrap it round the patients
hroa', leaving room for the animal to
crawl round. By the time the grub
died the whoopipg- cough was cured.
Three roasted mice were an infalli5le
cure for whooping-coueh. The same
remedy is still much esteemed in
Norfolk, England. There, however,
swallowing one mouse is considered
enough.
The charming of warts is one Of those
perfectly unreasonable modes OF cure
that often prove eficacious when med
ical treatment fails. DIR. Carpenter
cites as an instance Of this strange truth
the case of a girl who was cured OF
twelve warts by friend who merely
counted them, and then with an air OF
importance wrote the number down on
paper, assuring her that by Sunday
they would all have disappeared. And
so it proved. By the day named they
we're all gone, though the girls father,
himself a surgeon, had before tried to
remove them with caustic and other ap-
pliances in vain.
If so very simple prescription was
enough TO charm away dozen Of these
unpleasant eIcrescences, We cannot
wonder that the more elaborate forms
OF exc rcism here enumerated should
prove equally eficacious.. In Switzerland
the approved mode of charming a war'
is 10 rub il with a snail and then put
the snail on a thorn bush. Indeed,
charm cures for other diseases are not
by any means obsolete. In Yorkshire
il is still believed that set OF mole's
feet tied in a bag and worn round the
neck keeps away cramp. And it is quite
accepted as fact by some persons that
to carry potato in the pocket insures
immunity from rheumatism. These
cures, like the miracle wells, prove the
power that the will, if concentrated in
sufficient force, has to cure any local
affection of the body. The most re.
markable case Of this On record is the
way in which the Prince Of Orange
cured the garrison of Breda Of the
scurvy by sending them a small phial
Of decoction OF camomile, NORWOOD
and camphor. 1t was diluted with 9
gallon of water to every three drops o.
the tincture, and served out as q medi
cine to the sufferers, who from that day
haoan 10 oat haitian