Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-05-25
MEDICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Some Remarkably Queer French vagaries
of the Oltlen Times.

some Remarkably queer french Nh&artes
of the Oiten Times.
A French writer named Challamel
has recently issued book entitled "A
Bird s. Eye View of France in the Mid
die Ages" in which he relates "A num-
Der 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
personalities against diseases and in
fallible means OF cure, and it may be
added that they were not alone in their
trustfulness The following are some
OF the supertitious practices mentioned:
To cure fever they abstained from
both flesh and eggs on Easter and on
other high festivals; they caused cab
bage stolen for the purpose from
neighboring garden to be dried on a
pot-hook; they wore one OF dead
mans bones as an amulet; they inclosed
a green frog in bag and hung it to
the sick persons neck; they ate the
first Easter daisy that they found, and
they received tho benedicton in three
different parishes on the same Sunday
While telling their beads they searched
for a mullein-stalk and threw it to
the winds; they passed through the
cleft OF tree; they caused horse to
drink buclSetful OF water, and then
drank after him; they crossed a process
sion between the cross and the banner
they drank holy water on Easter eve
or on the eve of Pentecost they twined
the hem of a shroud about their arms
or necks, and they drank three time:
OF a mixture Of water from three wells
in new pot. The people OF Provence
had their fisheries blessed on a certain
saints day. On Assumption day thu
people OF Perigord went before sun
rise, walking backward, to gather nine
sprigs OF centaury, which they fastened
to a feverish persons neck, after which
they gave him an infusion OF the herl
to drink. A toad choked to death OF
the even OF st. Johns day had the SAM
virtue. 1t was common for a feverisl
, patient to rise early in the morning ant
walk backward in IA meadow, pluckine
handful Of herbs without turning OF
looking at them, then throw them be
hind him AMI keep on in his course
without turning back; the result of this
was that the fever attacked the devil
Another practice was for the feveret
person to drop piece OF money in ,
public place. with some mummery
whoever picked up the coin took tn
fever.
The wa ers of several fountains cure,
fevers, and in particular the fountain
De Krignac triumphed over tertians
To overcome fear one had only to site
pins in dead mans shoe. carry
VOLTS tooth or eye about, or ride
boar TO Danish rheumatism the sic
person caused miller or his wife t
, strike three blows with the hammer
saying: In nomine PATHS, etc. BATH
ing the painful parts with the water {
, the fountain OF Monies caused the pal
, to cease. In Landes rheumatics an
! paralytics were cured OF ills by gettin
I into certain openings, called etrine
] in the pillars of church. In Britain
/. Cnilu WIS prolecIcu aSdlHs1 All vi
+ eases by having his shirt put on dam
h The people OF Perigord carefully pr
: served the ashes and embers of I'll
j. yule log, which cures the ma'adies
h both man and beast In some distric
IS the butter made in May was kept as
1t vulnerary Among the peasants of u
o Montagne-Noire a white-handled kni
i, was an infallible remedy for coli
\ Epi epsy was cured by attaching CT
n citix nail to the patients arm, or
o causing him to wear silver ring or
,e medal bearing the names Gaspar. Me
+ choir, and Bulthasar. For warts the
r was very simple specific rubin
,e them with wad of hair or OF brooi
r. and wrapping chick-peas or pebbles
a rag. which the person was to thrt
behind him on road. Whoever h
toothache touched the aching too
es with dead persons tooth. -lond
Standard