Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-11-23
CHARMS AND AMULETS.

De Barros tells of Malay who wore a bracelet containing bone set in gold.
 The chips of gallows and places of execu- tion are used as amulets against agues. Charms and amulets were more popular among the ancients than medicine and sur gerry. Lemnius says that coral will prevent tur- bulent dreams and allay the nightly fear of children.
 For whooping cough anything recommend ed by man on a piebald horse was an infal- lible remedy.
 For smallpox mouse thrown alive into boiling fat and then eaten was the specific recommended.
 For scrofula the kings hand used to be the favorite remedy, but this was not the only charm relied on.
 In Devonshire, the favorite charm ring was made from an odd number of nails or screws extracted from coffin.
 Borlase asserts as fact that halter with which any one has been hanged will cure headache instantly if tied round the head.
 A few hairs cut from a mules neck are supposed to possess great virtue and to place the wearer of them beyond the possibility of disease.
 For the sting of scorpion, and to prevent disastrous consequences, the patient placed on an ass with his face towards the animals tail.
 In Morier's description of Persia reference is made to the common practice of depositing an old rag on certain bushes and removing another rag found there, the object being to insure health and safety.
 For sore eyes a touch from an old gold wedding ring is popular remedy, and many an old woman's ring has earned for itself great name as an eye healer.
 For the cure of jaundice, charms of rather disgusting character were recom- mended, the patient having to eat seven or nine cakes horribly prepared and cooked.
 A writer says the best way to stanch the blood is to apply some moss from a dead mans skull The moss did not have to touch the bleeding part, any portion of the skin sufficing.
 Brand tells of several superstitious reme- dies or charms; "Hollow stones are hung up I in stables at night to prevent nightmare or ephialtes. They are usually called in the north of England holy stones.'" | A spider put into goose quill, well sealed l ana secure, ANQ Hu0B dFOuuQ LDe leck or a child suffering from ague, would drive away that complaint and it appears that spiders have been popular as charms in many coun. tries and ages.
 To cure gout, Alexander of Tralles gives a charm which consists of writing Latin verse on a golden plate at the wane of the moon and rolling round it the sinews of Q crane. The. plate was then to be put in a little bag and suspended to one of the ankles
 In Scotland charm for the cure of con- sumption consists of cutting the nails of a patient and placing the trimmings in piece of rag torn from his clothing. This package was then buried, but, unfortunately, the pa tient generally had to be buried as well, and not long subsequently.
 The Gentleman's Magazine for 1794 says that to cure fits a ring should be made out of five silver siKpences collected from five bach elors, and conveyed to the hand of black smith who is bachelor by one of the five. If none of the five suspect what the collec- tion is for, the ring will be an infalible charm.
 Andrew Boord, a Sixteenth century writer, quaintly says: "The hynges of Englande doth hallowe every yere cramp rynges, ye which rings worn on ones fynger doth helpe them which hath the crampe." The first ring of this kind was brought from Jerusalem by one of the crusaders. This was preserved in Westminster Abbey and credited with ab- solute power to cure cramp or falling sick