Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-02-06
The Origin OF the SneezinG Formula.


The custom or saying "GOd bless
you," or some equivalent expression,
when a person sneeZes, is ancient and
very widely extended. In fact, 1t Is
doubtful IL there Is a country in the
world where traces OF 1t cannot be
found. Consequently the very general
belief that the custom took its rise in
one of the symptoms OF the plague IN
Italy In the days OF Gregory the
Great cannot be credited. Its origin
dates much farther back; even, it may
be SAID, beyond the limits of history.
For in the religious ideas and social
customs of primitive men is found the
clew to this strangely universal super
stItlon. Among these primitive peo-
pie the sneeze was sometimes considered
as an auspicious sign, sometimes as a
most unlucky omen; but that it was
due to the presence of spirits, either
good or evil, was the belief OF all. For
early men supposed the soul to 60 in
and out OF the body, and so with other
spirits, especially such as are thought
to enter into the patient, and anecS
him with disease. Therefore, in case
of illness. a person by the act OF sneez
ing is believed to cast out the evil
spirit that has been the unfortunate
cause OF his suffering.
For instance. the North American
Indians, as we'll rs the natives OF the
Indian Archipelago and also the Poly
nesians. believe not only in the exist
ence of Supreme Power, but also in
the existence OF inferior spiritual
beings, resembling the fairies of
Northern Europe. And these people
IL TO lNan fah nv
spirits rather than by any natural
cause; consequently the medicine-man
proceeds to expel the evil spirit instead
of otherwise attempting to cure the
diseased body. Thus. we see, arose
the superstition that a sneeZe Is sign
dat a sick person will be restored to
health, and so all who go to see him
ask if he has sneeZad. and IL he has
not. they can say, 1.-The disease is
great The Norwegian peasants still
believe that /: sick person sneezes he
will not die; and their custom when a
child sneeZsS is TO say, "Grow; 1t Is a
sign of health" They also believe
that anythlrg that persrn Is thinking
of when he sueeZs5 will he sure to
come true. Then among the savages
of Borneo and Central Africa there Is
the belief that man has double form,
the one corporal and the other spiritual;
and that even in life the soul or spirit
NAV leave the body, and that sickness
or evil spirits deprive the body OF its
spiritual companion. The natives OF
Nicaragua, California. Java, and West
Australia describe the soul as the air
or breeze which passes In and out
through the muu h and nostrils; the
Cirsenlanders are said to reckon two
separate souls-the breath and the
shadow: while the TyroleSe peasants
still fancy that good mans soul
issues from his mouth at death in the
form of a little white cloud-all going
| To show how universal has been the be-
lief in the existence of spirits that had
the power to 90 in and out of the body,
and were naturally believed to lie most
liable to enter or be expelled at such
times as ore sneeZed or yawned.
| Among the Algonquin Indians a sick
person is supposed to have his shadow,
or other self, temporarily detached
| from his body, and the convalescent Is
at times reproached for exposing hlm'
| SELF before his shadow was safely set
| tied down on him" Then, IN the Arctic
regions and in Australia sickness AND
death are supposed to be caused by the
4 lnUueuC6 Ol SPINS WV
emnloyed by enemies to iniure them
and the same idea Is seen in Scotland
and Northern Africa, where they be
] Iieye that there are ghosts Of the lvine
| who are exceedingly troublesome ano
vindictIye: while in Polynesia not only
animate, but inanimate, things are sup
posed to lose their spirits-the LITTLE
gods stealing the shadows OF thos'
things to which they take a fancy
Then, too. 1t seems that 70 prlml.is, a'
man the mortality Of the body was al
incredible fact; and 1t was therefor
hsI,eved that a person who died wa
simply carried away by the goo
people" meaning the fairies; IN IN
lead man accordingly was not dead
- often visited his friends, especiall.
a' at uishtfan; and they thought It. tina b,
since his departure from this life, hi
powers and privileges gs,%ss were Rssser' Rscsna
oL, stL,s belief the Hindu, for example