Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1889-04-25
MEDICAL SuPERsTlTI0NS.
Some Remarkably Qnecr French vagarI,
of the OIden Times.

II
Some Remarkably Qnccr French vagarIes
of the 0Iden Times.
A French writer named Cha1lamel
has recently issued book entitled A
Birds Eye View of France in the Middle
Ages" in which he relates O number of
medical superstitions current in France
in the middle ages, most of which are said
to prevail at the present time also. In
those days the French seem to have had
unlimited faith in preservatives against
diseases and infallible means of cure,
and it may be added that they were not
alone in their truthfulness. The follow
ing are some of the superstitious prac-
tees mentioned:
To cure fever they abstained from
both flesh and eggs on Easter and on
other high festivals; they caused a cab
bage stolen for the purpose from a
neighboring garden to be dried on a
pot-hook; they wore one of dead
mans bones as an amulet; they inclosed
green frog in bag and hung it to the
sick persons neck; they ate the first
Easter daisy that they found, and they
received the benediction in three differ
emit parishes on the same Sunday.
While telling their beads they searched
for mullein-stalk and threw it to the
wind; they passed through the cleft of q
tree; they caused horse to drink a
bucketful of water, and then drank after
him; they crossed procession between
the cross and the banner; they drank
holy water on Easter eve or on the eve
of Pentecost; they twined the hens of
shroud about their necks, and they
drank three times of a mixture of water
from three wells I'M new pot. Thepeo-
pie of Provence had their fisheries
blessed on certain saints day. On
Assumption day the people of Perigord
went before sunrise, walking backward,
to gather nine sprigs of centaury, which
they fastened to feverish persons
neck. after which they gave him an in
fusion of the herb to drink. A toad
choked to death on the eve of st. Johns
day had the same virtue. 1t was com
mon for feverish patient to rise early
in the morning and walk backward in a
meadow, plucking handful of herbs
without turning or looking at them,
then throw them behind him and keep
on in his course without turning back /;
the result of this was that the fever at
tackled the devil. Another practice was
for the fevered person to drop piece of
money in a public place, with some
mummery; whoever picked up the coin
took the fever.
The waters Of several fountains cured
fevers, and in particular the fountains
De Krignac triumphed over tertians
To overcome fear one had only to stick
pins in dead mans shoe, carrying a
VOLTS tooth or eye about, or ride a
boar. To Danish rheumatism the sick
person caused miller or his wife to
strike three blows with the hammer,
saying: SIN qaomjoe Pdtris," etc.
Bathing the painful parts with the wa
ter of the fountain of Monies caused
the pain to cease. In Landes rheumat-
les 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
diseases by having its shirt put on
damp The people of Perigord carefully
preserved the ashes and embers of the
yule log, which cures the maladies of
both man and beast. In some districts
the butter made in May was kept as a
vulnerary. Among the peasants of the
Montagne-Noire white-handled knife
was an infallible remedy for cholic. Ep-
ilepsy was cured by attaching crucifix
nail to the patients arm, or by causing
him to wear a silver ring or medal
bearing the name Gaspar, Melchoir, and
Balthasar. For warts there was very
simple specifc-rubbing them with a
wad of hair or of broom, and wrapping
chick-peas or pebbles in rag, which
the person was to throw behind him on
a road. Whoever had toothache touched
the aching tooth with dead persons
tooth.