The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-06
Virtue In Moss nom the Skull
of q Man Who Was
Hanged.
Paracelsus and His Wonderful Healing
Ointment, Sympathetic Ointment
Laying ON of HsndA

curing of the absent, and other of the
schemes Of the modern faith-curists wert
in vogue several centuries ago.
In the dark days of the middle ages there
were different ways OF curing toothache
One way was to rub the gums of the afiict-
ed persons until they bled with certain
root possessing supposedly magical quail
tiles. This having been accomplished, the
root was to be buried in the ground with
the blood on it. The burial Of the root
with the blood upon it was believed te
afford immunity from second attack Of
toothache. Another method was frequent
II employed in dealing with the ailment
The gum was pricked until it bled with q
black thorn or willow splinS, which latter
was then grated on the parent bush OF
tree.
There fourished in the sixteenth century
a wonderful quack named Paracelsus,
whose fame as curer was world wide. He
pretended to be able to cure every disease
under the sun, and his chief medicine was
called by him Sympathetic Ointment"
It was composed as follows:
Mess from the skull or bones of q skele-
tor tbst had lain for some time in the open
Mans grease,
Mummy's BLOOD
Mans blood,
:. Aipseed oil.
Oil Of roses,
BOle armoniack.
These cheerful ingredients were to be
mixed in mortar, in the proportion OF
three drains Of each. and, after being com
were to be inclosed in q box and set away,
like q jar or preserves, for future use.
Whenever q person came to Paracelsus
afflicted with a grievous cut or other in
jury the learned quack would gravely 1ab
stick into tho blood Of the patient. As soon
sus would thrust the stick into his sympa-
thetic ointment. This proceeding caused
the wound or injury to speedily and perma-
nently heal.
Like ali great men Paracelsus had a
horde of followers, and when their leader
departed this life some of his irnitators in
thetic ointment, or, rather, they substi-
tuted an ingredient. Whereas formerly it
had been deemed sufficient to take moss
from any skull or skeleton exposed for
time to the air, the second generation OF
quacks gave it out that an ordinary skele-
clared, that had come from the skull Of one
who had been hanged was efacacious. their
reason for this being that hanging produced
strangulatian, and strangqleticn drove the
vital Spirits of the victims body up into
his skull, where they remained for q period
of six years, 90 that moss of this descrip-
ton maintained its mysterious remedial
properties for six years.
From rare chronicles Of those days Mr..
Cox read number of quaint accounts of
cures Of wounds by use of the ointment and
the strange "Sympathetio Powder that
in Kent who cut his ankle with an axe. The
axe, with the blood on it, was carried post
haste to faith curer," who dressed the
implement with the ointment. whereupon,
by universal testimony, the wound on the
ankle began to heal. But the curer, acci-
with his sword, straiRhtway there came a
man running from the patients house to
say that the wound was worse. The axe
was bathed once more in ointment, and the
wound instantly healed and the man was
soon able to be up and about:
On another occasion gentleman had his
wrist severely cut in duel. He went to a
faith curer, who put his "Sympathetic
Powder on the ensanguined rag that had
been bound around the wrist. Nothing was
done to the wrist itself, but the application
of the powder to the rag cured the wound
in few days. These and other veracious
tales culled from obscure sources served to
illustrate the prevalence Of faith-cure prac-
tices in Europe long time ago.
The most conspicuous faith curist of his
time was King Charles II. of England, who
performed his so-called cures amid solemn
pomp and ritualistic pageant. From 1860
TO 1862 the king laid his hands" on no less
than 2,1O7 of his subjects affected with
kings evil, rheumatism and every variety
of disease and ailment. In addition to the
laying on of hands the royal doctor hung
amulets Of gold, strung on sil!F Ribbons
around the necks of those brought into his
august presence. Many who were carried
to the palace sprang up and walked away
cured, and great was the fame Of the king.
His oourtiers proclaimed that the cures
were evidence Of their rulers divine right
to his throne.
Albert Leighton Rawson stated that faith
cure was prevalent among the ancient
Egyptians.
Other papers were read by Thomas Will
son on 1.-The Amulet Collection Of Prof.
Belucci, Perugia. Italy, and How it Came
to be Made;" by the Rev. j. Owen Dorsey
on '.Siouan Cults showing that the Sioux
were never monotheists and describing the
intricate symbols of their religious and
other observances; by John Walter Fewkes
on The Sacred Dances of the Zuni Indi-
ans" describing certain dramatic represent
tations incorporated therein; by DR.. Fred
erick Starr on ''The Folklore Of Stone I'm
PIGMENTS" and by DR.. Edwards, of Wor-
cester, Mass, on Bahama Folklore"
illustrated by several dialect stories of the
negroes on Green Turtle Bay island,