The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-05-17
MEDICAL suPERsTlTioNs.
Some Remarkably Queer French vagari'ss
of the Olden Times.

of the Olden Times.
A French writer named Challamel
has recently issued a book entitled "a
Brd'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
preservatives 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 supertitous practices 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
neighboring garden to be dried on
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 the benedictiOn in three
different parishes on the same Sunday.
While telling their beads they searched
for nullein-stalk and threw it to
the winds; they passed through the
cleft of a tree; they caused horse to
drink bucxetful 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 times
of a mixture of water from three wells
in a new pot. The people of Provence
saints day. On Assumption day the
people of Perigord went before SUM-
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 herb
to drink. A toad choked to death on
the even of st. Johns day had the same
virtue. 1t was common for feverish
patient to rise early in the morning and
walk backward in a meadow, plucking
a handful Of herbs without turning or
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 fevered
person to drop a piece of money in
public place. with some mummery;
whoever picked up the coin took the
fever.
The wa ers 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, carry
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: In nomine Patris," etc. Bath
ing the painful parts with the water of
the fOunlai 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
a 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 MAJ ladies 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 collie.
Epi epsy was. cured by attaching a cru
cifix nail to the patients arm, or by
causing him to wear silver ring or q
medal bearing the names Gaspar, Mel
choir and Balthasar. For warts there
was a very simple specific
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. Whoeve. had
tOothache touched the aching tooth
with dead PERSONS tooth. London
Standard.
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