The Osceola times., 1885-07-04
AFGHANISTAN.
The superstitions Which Prevail In This
Coveted Region.

The Superstitions Which Prevail In This
Coveted Region.
Medicine among the Afghans is in a
crude form. 1t is tumble of supersti-
ton with here and there a grain of
sense intermixed. Even the well -to-do
people of the peasantry live IN mud
houses consisting OF one room, window
less, and with but one small door OF
exit. Here the family, however large,
live and sleep. Chimneys are unknown,
or indeed, any kind of smoke-hole or
yentilator. Water for drinking pur-
poses is often obtained from small
rivuiet, branch of the canal, general
ly impure, muddy stuff. Yet when the
people are sick, they ascribe it to the
evil influence of malicious jinnis who
are always wandering about ready for
any wicked mischief.
The people believe that if man sick
with smallpox hears thunder, he be-
comes deaf. hence tom-toms (drums)
are beaten around him during a thun-
der-storm that he may not hear the
fatal sound.
Incantations, jugglery and charms
are popular remedies. If the patient
RECEIVERS, well and good; if he dies, he
lacks faith. A favorte cure for ,jaun-
dice is twig taken from lig tree, cut
into forty pieces, breathed on by the
Koresh (wise men) and the pieces
strung ami hung about the sick per-
son neck. A seven to ten days alb.
stinence from food is enioined, and the
patient gets well. or else he does not.
Occasionally the treatment becomes
more practical, as in the following case
of sweating patient. 4
An only son of one of the better.
class peasants was taken i'll. k.F
I'm so cold, and then I'm so hot
and my head achesn' the lad com
planned. 10 - t-f
His mother, being anxious. went to
| the house of the Moolah Oearned doe
tori to get remedy for her son. The
good man prayed, and gave her an
amulet with strange cabalistic figures
on it, and bade her 90 home and put it
about the sick boys neck, and it would
drive away the wicked Jim that was
troubling him. es
The woman did so, but the lad grew
worse Then the Koran and sword
were laid on the quilt beside the boy,
and another amulet, with wonderful
exercising power, was hung on the bed
post; and the poor distraught mother
drove pegs into the grave of buried
saint, hung rags on the tree above 1t,
and prayed in vain. The Jim wouidn't
go, but the sick boy grew more feverish.
Then the father determined 10 try the
great Pathan remedy, which is prac-
ticed all over Afghanistan, He had a
sheep slaughtered and skinneds and
after rubbing oil and tirmenc upon the
skin, wrapped his son in il while it was
hot Then he laid the boy on the bed
and shut the door, so that not breath
of air could come in, and covered him
up with heavy quilts.
AT the end Of twenty-four hours the
lad was no better, so the skin was re-
moved and fresh one substituted.
This time it had the desired effect,
for before ten hours were past the sick
boy said. in a weak voice: Father, ]
have become water"
"Allah be praisedH' exclaimed the
parents.
For several hours longer the lad wore
the sheepskin, that the cure might be
certain; and when at last it was re-
moved, the poor boy had perspired so
freely that he presented general par
boiled appearance. but the fever was
conquered. - YOUTHS Companion.