The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-07-16
TALISMANS AND CHARMS,
How Popular Superstition is z cpl
Alive Everywhere.
Emprlcism and Quackery - Faith in
Metal Rings and other Senseless
Charms-Infiuence of Imagi-
nation Over Disease.

Perhaps no class of superstitions ex-
hibits human credulity and weakness in
broader light than that connected with
the history of medicine and surgery
Until within comparatively recent pc
rod the medical practice of many civ
ilized country was little else than It's
sue of superstitious beliefs and specula-
tive conceits, and such even at the pres
ent day is the character of the healing
art in many parts of the world. Like
other general features in the history of
mankind, these beliefs are founded upon
certain principles in our nature-er erring
through that ignorance which progress
sive experience and reason are destin ed
to dissipate. Man naturally see "a to
avoid disease from the pain which. II Gre.
ates, and the consequent fear of death
urges him to grasp at anv proffered
remedy. His own anxiety Increased by
that of his friends, make rs him prone to
believe, and credulty IS aweakness ever
ready to be practice Il upon by the selfish
and d-designing. Thus duackery and EN-
pircism origin:Ite. There is, however,
another cauee of the superstitions in
medicine "squally general with that al
reauy p4entioned, namely, the unknown
orlg.n of many of the maladies which
;-ssail us. The causes of external iniu-
'ries are seen and known; those of inter
nal or constitutional disease are obscure.
In rude ages such Affections are regard
ed as judgments and the work of malig-
nant spirits; hence charms, incantations
and divinations are the curative means
resorted to. If the patient die it is his
fate; if he survive (whether from the
disease having run its course or from
: the force of imagination acting upon his
bodily system). the charm is considered
eificacious, and what is said to have
cured one it is but reasonable to apply
to thousands. Thus it is that empiri
cism and superstition get established anc
retain the hold even long after science
has taught us to laugh at their absurd
ity. 1t may, therefore, be curious tc
collect few details respecting past
medical practice and its still surviving
superstitions.
One of the earliest and most preva-
lent of these beliefs was that which at
trlbuted medical virtues to rings made
OF certain metals and fabricated after q
certain fashion. Won Helmont, who
wrote In the latter part of the Seven
teenth century, affirmed that he was
possessed of metal, of which if a ring
were made and worn, not only the pair
attendant upon hemorrhoids would
cease but that in twenty-four hours,
whether internal or external, they would
vanish altogether. This faith in meta
rings is still far from being extinct even
IN this country. Some years ago Young
man in Plainfield, n. j., of about TWEEN.
ty-three years of age, evidently in bad
s1ate OF health, went to a silversmith'
snop' wishing the proprietor of the es.
'aoiisnment to make him strong ring
OUT OF several pieces of silver which he
Drought with him. By questioning him
little the silversmith ascertained that
ne mad been long subject TO fits: thai
nothing which hehad hitherto tried had
Shorded him any relief, and that he had
oeeh advised by neighbor to try 8
charm which she had known had beer
eulcacious N several instances. The
ehafm was that he must beg seven diff
ierent pieces of silver from seven differ
ent persons; that strong rinp must bt
made containing part of each of the
pieces; that the person who made i
must have no other reward for his Labor
.,lan 1he pieces which were left after
Tue ring had been made; that he mus
wear the ring upon the foreinger of tn,
rlgnt hand, and that he might then hav,
nc no further fear of recurrence of fits
Inc young man also said that the phy
sieian s9 who attended him had signifieG
nus assent to the trial. The silversmitl
asked him If he could really bring him
sell to think that it could be of any sery
ice to him. He replied that, when he
Ihought of it reasonably, he must con
Iess he did not see how it could; bu
hat. as he had been so tormente,
with the fits, and as everything tha
ne had tried had been of no sery
Ice ne was willing to try any