The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-12-08
The Universal Panacea.

A universal medicine, general pan
hcea, is what the impatient world seems
to be always yearning after, and is ever
ready to believe in. The stencil of tar
water is scarcely cut Of dur n0strils be=
fore the treacle and birthstone beloved
of Mrs. Squeers, or the camphor drops
of Deputy Raspail is announced as the
long sought-for nostrum. The grape
cure is a rather recent craze of harmless
enthusiasts, and is likely to last some
time, since, if it is not very ef1icacious,
it is unden.ably pleasant. The same
negative tribute may be paid to the odor
of pine forests, and the manifold virtues
of boiled celery and raw tomatoes. The
latter are, indeed, beginning to assert
themselves so vigorously in America
that before long they will be introduced
here as the latest dietetic cure-all; for
the world has already heard of diplo-
matist who, after damaging his consti-
futon by English dinners and an undi-
vided attention to the GAME of elichre,
is renewing his youth on the penitential
diet Of loye-apples and skim-milk.
Lines have been vouehed for as a fruit
on which man might live for ever were
life Worth living on such d fiutr.tnent,
and at different times there has been
great deal to say for dried mummies,
green tea, Virginia tobacco, cacao
leaves, snakes flesh, the eye of newt
and toe of frog, glass of water at night
and little whisky early in the morn
ing, as certain means for prolonging
existence until a person addicted to such
physic would be burden to his less
ambitious relatives. The mandrake,
VIII, CHI grcaned as it was dragged out of
the ground attached to dogs tail, and
19ade all mad within hearing Of its
COM was in Shakospeare's day ac-
ente,eA a singularly potent drug. 1t
sovereioito all love potions, and as a
calc;trant Wpedy for bringing back re-
Loot Of Genesis is referred to in the
;ts Mace for similAe bryony still keeps
; raj herbal, just as thuposes in the ru-
! for the cure of quinsy, Yer is in repute
: and mad dogs, rs an ante OF auders
erysipelas, an ointment fort against
a an charm against toothace eyes,
- and witches. A raw po'ato or deyer
! stone in the pocket will proteced-
n owner against rheumatism, and, as IL,
q as 1877, a ''mad -stone-a charm as 0
- as the middle ages, and, referred to
- Ibn Baithar, the Arabian physic a
20 was muse in Kentucky as cure +
hvdrophobia. The dock is in folk-me
II icine a sort of universal panacea, a.
ns though modern monarchs no long
:. .stouch for the "King's evil" Char
~ x. of France officiated in that capac
: at his coronation, and in the year IL
10 failing the Queens touch, half-croW
" bearing the effigy of Charles |. serV
Is this end among the Shetland lslande3
az lust as at Cairo scraps of garments Il
nj had come in contact with the car
Of bearing the "Grand Seigneur's" ann
,at present were at one time preserved
ms infallible remedies against every
h;s Folk-medicine and the search for p
ore acea is, indeed, q branch of fetishi'
on It arises out Of the idea that every
me- ated object must contain some oc'
nc virtue, more or less supernatural.
lid it is among the kindlier beliefs of I
nos that there is no evil for which ther
tbe not a remedy, and that if Heaven
wv ordained sickness and old age, pc
hoy ity and death, it must also have
;tb1 vided philters against all four, and
he'd even a sad memory may be got gu
tbe by means OF that enchanted ST
eaE which made the lotus eaters forget
/ of world behind them. London StHnd