The Irish standard., 1888-01-07
THE IRISH MEDICINE MAN.
Philip McGovern, the Only Successful
Rival Of Pasteur, in Curing
Hydrophobia.
THE SYSTEM OF TREATMENT.
The Secret Of the Preparation Of a Certain
Herb Water is Guarded
Closely.

A correspondent Of the Dublin North
and South writes as follows to our es-
teemed contemporary:
In u remote mountain glen, in the
heart Of ireland, a peasant, it is al
legged, has been doing what all tho
sciences OF the world has failed in
achieving rabies in human
beings, and even curing those in whom
it has developed. Naturally one is
sceptical as TO an ignorant. Though in
telligent, man succeeding where the
most learned have failed. 1nvestiga-
ton shows, however, that the McGoy-
ern or Magaura;-the old form OF tho
name-cure for hydrophobia is not the
discovery of to-day, bat is at least 2oo
years old.
! The spot where Philip AcGovern
lives is called CLAN, the Irish Of Glen.
It is easily reached now, fer the train
runs within about eight miles OF Nc
Governs house. / preferred however,
going thither by car, driving from Bel
turbet, being anxious to pick up 1nfor-
nation on the way and see persons who
have been cured throughout the coun.
Try. One Of the heads of the Magauran
clan, is Dean Magauran, dignitary OF
the Catholic Church. 1t is needless 10
say that the Dean is an educated man.
but he has also travelled. He lived IN
Clan when boy, and is now 10 years
of age. He told me that 1.-The cure, as
it is called locally, is known to only one
family Of the clan, not to all the Ma
paurans--that he had never known it to
fail. and that it's existence and certain
success is as much matter OF course
AS is the existence Of hydrophobla.
Several priests whom he knew person
a}Iv have been to McGovern for the
preventive treatment. having been Dlt-
ten by rabid dogs. One of those under
his immediate Jurisdiction was thus
treated four or FIVE years ago, and is
still well. The only thing," added
the Dean quantity, that he objected,
to wa, that the fast was rather rigor-
Gus. % referring to the barley bread ana
herb drink diet. A mile or two past
the Deans house is the residence OF a
gentleman who is agent to several es-
lates in the neighborhood. From him
T learned the same tale-that no one
ever having undergone McGovern' 8
sscure'' has been known subsequently
to suffer from rabies.
Driving ON, we ascend the mountain
pass called the Gap, which leads TO
Clan, lying on the western slopes OF the
Cayan mountains, down which we next
PASSED. The driver, being Ignorant OF
McGoyern's house, we asked q man On
the road the way. lis it Phil The doch-
ter, We want?'' said he, and answering
in the affirmative, we received the
necessary directions. a short distance
off the main road-a very good one by
the way-up a lane is a whitWashed
cottage. the house of Philip McGovern,
and his fathers before. ''Phil" is not
in. but we are welcomed by his mother,
an old woman OF eighty, keen-eyed
fair haired. her hearing unimpaired,
and her faculties still bright. Seated
by the fire, is a man. Robert Dun wodie,
his wife and child, all bitten by mad
dog. They came from county Monag'
han, and are looking bright ny happy
at being, as they called it, '':aved. !" 4
questioned Mrs. McGovern as to the
food and treatment to be given to the
patients. and elected these facts, which
were afterward contirmed by the doch
ter'' himself and others. The treat
ment lasts three days, during which
time only barley bread and a drink
made Of herbs a1e taken. The barley is
|spread on q table and carefully picked
] over, so that not grain Of any thing
else may be left in it. It il then
ground in q qnern or granite handmill
! about q foot and a half in diameter
after which it is wetted with the hert
waiter, and made into bread or griddle
Icakes. Plenty OF butter, which mast
|bs pure. is. allowed to be eaten with CHS m
i bread, also garlic. The little child VIC
saw there was too young to eat the
sI.bread, 80 sosporridgs had been made fol
him Of the herb water and barley IN:
4 stead. Is strong healthy man With 9
4 good appetite is not allowed 70 satisfy
himself even on. this diet. which Is
given two or three times g day. ln
j the case Offs woInen and children, ol
/ anyone who cannot; eat mnch more 1l re ]
l uuent meals ara giyen. patients 'aLI
Ifsre allotsd the hsIh AZ g 4.
lstey ple l. !. u ,,al ss!
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