River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-18
MEDICAL SUGGESTIONS.
iome Remarkably Queer French vagaries
of the Oidea Times

lome Remarkably Queer French vagaries
of the Oiden Times.
A French writer named Challamel
las recently issued a book entitled a
3ird's-Eye View OF France in the Mid
I lie Ages in which he relates num-
Der Of medical superstitions current in
france in the middle ages, most OF
shich are said to prevail at the present
lime also. In those days the French
Ieem to have had unlimited faith in
)reservatives against diseases and in
allible means of cure, and il may be
tdded that they were not alone in their
usefulness. The following are some
IF the supertitious practices mentioned:
To cure fever they ,bstained from
both flesh and eggs on Easter and on
,ther high festivals; they caused a cab
page stolen for the purpose from
ieighboring garden to be dried on
oot-hook; they wore one OF a dead
mans bones as an amulet; they inclosed
1 green frog in a bag and hung it 10
he sick persons neck: they ate the
irst Easter daisy that they found, and
hey received the benediction in three
iiiferent parishes on the same Sunday
While telling their beads they searched
or a mulleiu-stalk and threw il to
he winds; they passed through the
cleft of a tree; they caused a horse TO
irink bucketful of water, and then
frank after him; they crossed process
sion between the cross and the banner;
hey drank holy water on Easter eve
or on the eve of Pentecost; they twined
he hem of shroad about the arms
or necks, and they drank three times
II a mixture of water from three wells
n new pot. The people of Provence
lad their fisheries blessed on a certain
saints day. On Assumption day the
Geople of Perigord went before sun
Use, walking backward, to gather nine
,prigs Of centaury. which they fastened
o a feverish Persons neck, after hich
hey gave him an infusion of the herb
o drink. A toad choked to death on
he even of St Johns day had the same
virtue. 1t was common for q feverish
patient TO rise early in the morning and
walk backward in a meadow, plucking
4 handful of herbs without turning or
oOking at them, then throw them be-
hind him AMI keep on in his course
without turning back; the result II this
was that the fever attacked the devil.
Another practice was for the fevered
person TO drop a piece of money in a
public place. with some mummery;
whoever picked up the coin took the
ever
The waters OF several fountains cured
levers, and in particular the fountains
De Krignac triumphed over tertians.
TO overcome fear one had only to stick
pins in a dead mans shoe, carry a
VOLTS tooth or eye about, or ride a
boar To Danish rheumatism the sick
person caused a miller or his wife to
strike three blows with the hammer,
saying: I'm nomine Patris,n etc. Bath
ing the painful parts with the water OF
the fountain OF Monies caused the pain
to cease. In Landes rheumatics and
paralytics were cured of ills by getting
into certain openings. called etrines,
in the pillars Of church. In Brittany
child was protected against all dis
eases by having his shirt put on damp
The people OF Perigord carefully pre-
served the ashes and embers of the
yule log, which cures the maIadies of
both man and beast In some districts
the butter made in May was kept as a
vulnerary. Among the peasants of the
Montagne-No.re a white-handled knife
was an infalliblo remedy for collie
Epi cpsy was cured by attaching a cru
cifix nail to tho patients arm. or by
causing him to wear silver ring or a
medal bearing the names Gaspar, Mel
choir, and Balthasar. For warts there
was very simple specific rubbing
them with a wad of hair or of broom,
and wrapping chick-peas or pebbles in
a rag. which the person was to throw
behind him on road. Whoever had
toothache touched the aching tooth
with a dead persons tooth. London
Standard