Wichita eagle., 1888-06-24
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TALES OF TIE TEETH.
TRADITIONS, oMENS AND ADkGEs
AMONG THE UNEDUCATEO.

AMONG THE UNEDUCATEO.
All Sorts of Superstitfons Concerniog the
Teetb-Charms and Other Remedies for
Observation-Disclosures and Irish Recipes.
The Prayer Cure.
The teeth and the aches to which they
give rise have been subjects or many
strange ideas among uneducated people
Teeth have even been worshiped, and are
still venerated as relics in some Catholic
shrines. Buddha's tooth Is preserved in
temple in India, and CeylOnese worshiped
the tooth of a monkey, while an elephants
tooth and sharks tooth served a similar
purpose among the Malabar Islanders and
the Tonga Islanders respectively Siam-
sse valued a monkeys tooth so highly
that they are reported to have offered the
Portuguese roc, 900 crowns for it.
There was a tradition that, from the
time Chosroes, the Persian, carried off
piece of the true cross from Constantine
nle. the number Of teeth in the mouths of
men were reduced from thirty-two to
twenty three. 1t is needless to say that
we still have thirty-two. Teeth have
often been worn as amulets. Sharks
teeth serve this purpose in Samoa. 1t
was formerly thought that VOLTS tooth,
worn in bag about the neck, would
phase fear away from the possessor. The
back tooth OF horse, found by chance,
viii, say the Irish, keep you supplied with
money.
oMENs AND ADAGEs.
There are many omens connected with
Infants teeth, as well IS those Of adults.
If a child teethe early, it IS thought in
England to predict more children. Soon
teeth, soon toes" is the ad2ge, both in
that country and in Sweden. If tooth
comes first in the upper jaw it is, on the
contrary, an omen Of early death, as the
child cannot survive so potent a disaster.
An old work, published il 1888, tells lis
that to loose tooth or an eye is also to
lose some friend or kinsman, or is, at
least, attended by some Ill luck. He who
has his teeth wide apart IS there said to
be attended by good luck. Breton mothers
will not touch infants gums, lest the
teeth grow crooked. To dream of teeth
was warning of some disaster, unless
you dreamed they fell out.
The period of teething being an anxious
one in childhood, it is extremely impor-
tant to have it over with. In Sussex,
peony root was placed on the child's neck
to assist this operation, and one of amber
beads was also thought powerful. It was
also said that first teeth must not be
thrown away when they fall out, for if
any animal got such trophy the next
tooth would be like that OF the animal
finding the old one. In Nova Scotia, and
In some parts of the United States, chill
Gren are told that the new tooth viii be
gold one If the tongue is kept cut of the
old cavity.
Folk lore is full of odd notions about
the toothache, and many queer remedies
Rre current for it. 1t was once thought to
be caused by worm.
One Of the most potent remedies was
thought to be charm of some kind or
other. In England this charm is rhyme
or prayer written on a piece OF paper.
Verses for this purpose are current in Ger
many to this day. St. Appollinus was
especially invoked for this malady in the
Thirteenth century.
A work published in 1895 prescribes the
following remedy: The patient was TO in
hale the smoke from "a vessel in which
dried herbs were mixed with live Goals.
He must then breathe over q cup holding
water mixed with wax and serum, when
it was said that worm, the cause of the
trouble, would appear in the cup.
ANOTHER STRANGE RE&EDT.
Nearly century later we find another
strange remedy: with an iron nail raise
and cut the gum from about the teeth
Until it bleed, and that some of the blood
Epill upon the nail. Then drive it into a
wooden beam up to the head. After this
Is done you never shall have the tooth
ache In all your life"
Another old writer Of the Same period,
Aubrey, gives popular remedies for the
tcothache. A splinter Of wood from
gibbet was thought sefIicacious in the
north of England, while in Devonslire il
was thought best TO bite tooth from a
skull in grave yard, and carry il in the
pocket as a charm. In another part of
England, an equally CHASTITY amulet was a
tooth drawn from the mouth Of q corpse.
carried in the pocket The paw Of live
mole or q double nut were also prescribed
as preventive charms. To dress the left
foot and leg before the right is equally
effective.
Some of the Irish cures f9r the tooth
ache were fully as CHASTITY SIS those cited
above. One of these empirical recipes
bids you go to a grave, kneel upon it, say
three paters and three ayes for the soul Of
the dead, then chew handful of grass
taken from the grave, splitting it out
The toothache will never after trouble
you.
Another remedy is to VOW never to comb
your hair on Friday, invoking the Creator
the Virgin and the new neon. You may
afterwards neglect the two first, but must
kneel and say five prayers on first behold
ing the new moon. The two jaw bones
Of paddock havo been powerful in al
laying the toothache ever since the mir
Rcle Of the loaves and fishes. If YOU wish
10 avoid the toothache, say the sons Of
Erin. never shave on Sunday-Globe-
Democrat.