Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-14
CHARMS AND SPELLS.
ENGLISH FARMERS IN THIS COUNTRY
WHO BELIEVE IN THEM.

WHO BELIEVE IN THEM.
The Charmed Ring Cure for Epilepsy
An Agne Cure-Toothache Preventive
Charms for the Dispersion Of Warts
Some Novel Remedies.
Years ago a number of emigrants from
Devonshire, Lancaster, Cornwall, Yorkshire,
and other counties Of England settled in
northern Pennsylvania, near the New York
line. They have some Of tbs finest farms In
the state, and are the best Of citizens; but
many of them cling with singular tenacity to
q strange belief in the efficiency Of certain
charms that have been used for centuries
among the class to which they belonged in
England.
CURES FOR EPILESY, AGUE, TooTHACHE
Tho charmed ring cure for epilepsy is one
Of these. Only few days ago jeweler in
one of the villages was called upon by a resi-
dent Of the settlement, who had with him bis
daughter, a sickly girl Of Is. The girl pro-
duced nine English twopenny pieces, from
which the jeweler was requested TO make
ring to fit the girls middle finger. It was
necessary, the farmer said, that a portion Of
each coin should be used, and the rest Of the
pieces saved and returned to his daughter.
The coins were given her by nine boys, as
near her own age as could be found, which
would give to the ring q charm, which
when she put it on, would cure her Of cpl
lepsy, from which she was suffering. This, he
maintained, was a cure that never failed II
the victim Of epilepsy was a male, the coins
must be presented by nine females.
Some Of these farmers keep the skins Of ad-
ders in or on their houses and buildings, be-
lieving them to be a certain charm against
fire. To cure ague the patient is taken to q
spot where two roads cross, and an oak is
found as near the spot as possible. A lock Of
bis hair is lifted up and driven into the tree
with an ash peg The patient must then tear
himself loose, leaving the hair sticking in the
tree, and walk away without looking behind.
Sufferers with crysipelas, by wearing in q
silken bag around their necks a toad from
which the right hind leg and the left fore leg
has been cut, until the mutilated reptile dies,
will get well of the disease. The tongue cut
from O living fox. these charm believers say,
carried about the person, will ward of dis
ease of all kinds; but as the person carrying
one of these fox tongues will surely die if he
should happen to meet a fox at any cross
roads, the charm Is sci lom invoked
One old resident of the settlement carries in
his pocket constantly an immense tooth from
q human jaw The tooth, he says, was taken
from the mouth OF man after he was dead,
who was hanged in Hertfordshire more than
100 years ago, and was carried by the present
owners father, grandfather, and great grand
father. 1t is carried as a preventive of tooth
ache, the tooth from q dead persons mouth
being a certain charm against that malady.
The owner Of the tooth says he never had the
toothache in his life. A double hA2elnut
carried in the pocket or about the person i
also a preventive of this painful ailment.
The charms for the dispersion Of warts BE-
ieved in by many of these honest farmer,
are numerous and most singular For in
stance, if person with warts on his or heI
hands will write down the number Of them
on the band Of a tramp's hat without thu
tramp knowing it, he will carry the wart,
away with him-that is, they will gradually
disappear from the persons hands and appeal
on those of the tramp.
GETTING RID OF WARTS AND VIEWS.
Another way to get rid of warts il for tn.
nerson To sae a funeral mass unexpectedly
wherever he NAV lie. and as it passes rub hi,
warts ouickIv and rer,eat the words sWart,
and cor,,se. pass away and never more re
turn y Gre.an ,..as NAV also Ie us.d To ad
VANTAGE in taking off warts Let the Athlete,
person take as MANY peas as he has warts and
touch each wart with a different pea. II,
must then wrap each pea in a separate piece
of paper. and bury them secretly in the shade
IF an ash tree or under a hazel bnsh II pea,