New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-26
MEDICINE IN THE HEBRIDES TWO CEN
TURIES 400.

from me COfHHNH.
Disease was often at the door, and the Hcbrdeans
h ad a regular system IF homegrown medical treat
mcnt. For smallpox, there dreadful scouree they
had really cure. The general treatment was
blo0d-letting. For trouble ONE bTOchan. kind
of thin Cruel, taken in large quantities, and as hot
if could be rendered, was the common remedy.
Roots of nettles, boiled down, gave a kind Of medi-
cine that was used a tonic. Ii the uvula became
enlarged or fell down. they cut it deXterOusly with
a hOrSe-haiT, which was twisted round IT. For the
jaundic", they had several remedies, of which one
was this: lie patient was made TO lie Hat on the
ground then the tOngs or bar of iron was made
red hot and gently applied upward 10 the patients
back TIL he got into o great fright and rushed fun
ously ont of doors under the impression that he was
being burnt. The shGck often gave HIM the turn 1t
was supposed. A cure used tor Catarrh or inilamma
ton OF the lungs was perhaps more III me ule on
modern therapeutics. The patient was made to walk
OUT into the sea mp to his middle with ms CLONES
on and Immediately aIterwa;d TO 20 10 bed without
taking them off. Then, by putting the bedcl0thes
over his head, he frequently succeeded IN procuring
cOpiOus peTsplraiOn, and the dlStempeT was cured"
In tie beautiful parish of kilmartia, which contains
the grave Of many nanieeSS king and chief, there
lived at the time of the Union blacksmith, who
had wide reputation in his skill for curing every
phase of faiutness of spirits or nervous complaints.
lie was a man of singular muscular rover and
singular command over his arms. Tie placed the
nervous patient on the anvil vi h his face upper
mrst he then took his big hammer in both his
hands and approached the sufferer with q fcrOcIous
aspect rs if 10 murder him with one blow and The
shock completely restored the shattered nervous
System.
We can easily understand how people crushed
down for centuries, and facing perpetual poverty as
the peasantrv of the IIcbrIdcs were would become
the prey of all sorts OF quacks, and would have to
pay the penalty due TO their creduly. BOne-set-
icTs were numerous among them, and appear 10
have had good practice. llerballsts hOurlsh'd
and were trIl ,ted. Many of them. no doubt, per-
formed their cures though they rcsOrtcd to mystrn-
Gus proceedings through their superior knowledge
of roots and herbs Frequently, in the case OF the
famous Neil BcatOn, they were supposed TO effect
their cures through compact with tnc Devil. rather
than from the virtues of their sImplrs, when IN
reality they derived their medical knowledge from
their iorriathrrS. Sometimes a knowledge of medl
cine Was hereditary, Ike the gilt OF poesy or OF
second sight But the people believed IN the per-
sonalitv and power of the Devil notwithstanding,
and when all lawful recognized means failed, 10
the Devil they prepared to 60 for cure help or
deliycrauce. Hence all the oldest records reveal an
extraordinary contest between the Kirk on the one
hand and the various emlsSireS OF Satan on the
other We are dealing with period when belief ID
wItcncraft was quite cUmmOn and when those suS-
pectcd of trtiiicklng with the Devil were put TO
death by burning on the ordinary GaliOwS-hll.
Death almost everywhere the king of terrOrs, was
made very hOrrld in the Iiebnde5 through the eN-
traordinary system Of belief, worked up by the
prophets oi the sccOnd-sght In every parish there
was at least one person who lived by performing
cures by means OF charming Children who dlad
unhaptizcd were supposed TO be doomed to eternal
torrents; and evil spirits of various kinds were
supposed TO watch over helpless infancy to ITO 1t
some HARM