Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20

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Psr.csisus and H's ws~s~rsss Hs.as.s os>s-
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PROM the New york Times
Some marvellous faith-cure reccipSs a -
middle ages were read yesterday morning be-
fore the concluding session OF the second an
nual convention Of the American FoIk Lore
Society, at Hamilton Hall. Columbia College.
by Charles Y. Cox. The nde OF the paper vas
Faith Healing in the Sixteenth and Seven
teenth Centuries" and the author showed that
the laying on Of hands. the curing Of the alb
sent and other cf the schemes Of the modern
faith ourssts were IN vogue several centuries
ago.
In the dark days OF the middle ages there
were different WAYS OF cnrins toothache One
way was to rub the gums Of the sfhicted person
until they bled with certain root Possessing
supposedly magical qualities. This having
been accomplished, the root was 90 be buried
IN the ground with the blood on a. The burial
OF the root with the blood upon Il vas believed
70 AFFORD immunity from q second attack %
tcothacbe. Another method vas frequently
employed In dealing with this ailmenG The
gun was pricked until IL bled, with n black
thorn or willow splint, which latter w.s then
grated on the parent bush or tree.
SYMPATHETIC oIsrMxxr.
There hourished in the sixteenth century
wonderful quack named Paracelsus. whose fame
~ tatft N"c soffO NtNt- ne pretended 10 be
able TO cure every disease under the sun ana
his chief medicine was called bY him a ,,.ympa-
thetic ointment" IL was composed "a sollo~..
Moss from the skull or homes o. skeletoa
that had lain for some time In the open air
Mans grease.
Mummy's blood.
Mans blood.
linsced OIL
Oil Of roses
Boie armoniack.
These cheerful ingredients were 20 he mired
In mortar. in the proportion Of three drachms
OF each. aud, after being compounded into a
pure and subtle ointment. were Co be inclosed
J In box ana set away. like a GAR of preserves
Tor future use Whenever person came b.
Paracelsus afflicted with a grievuus cut or other
| injury the learned quack would gravely lab a
stick into The blood Of the patient. Az soon as
J the blood was dry the stick pafacelsus would
thrust the stick into his sympathetic ointment
This proceeding caused the wound or injury 20
speedily and permanently heal.
Like all great men Psracelsus had horde Of
followers, and when their leader departed this
life some OF his imitators intrcduced new in
gredlent INTO the sympathetic ointment. or.
| rather, they substituted an Ingredient
Whereas. formerly IL had been deemed sufk-
cient TO take moss from any skull or skeleton
exposed for q time 70 the air. the second gen
Grafton OF quacks gave II out that an ordinary
skeleton had no virtue. Only moss. they
declared, that had come from the skull of one
who had been hanged was efhcacious. their
reason for this being that hanging produced
strangulation. and strnngulation drove the
vital spirits of the victims body MP into his
! nkull, whore they remained for period OF al,
years, No that moss Of this description main
talned it's mysterious remedial properties for
| six years.
CURIOUS CURES
From rare chronicles Of those davs Mr.. Cox
read a number of quaint accounts of cures Of
wounds by the use Of the ointment and the
strange Sympathetic powder" that came into
use later. There was n laborer in Kent who
cut his ankle with an Ak. The Ak. with the
blood on it, was carried post haste 10 faith
curer. who dressed the implement with the
ointment, whcreupon. by universal testimony
the wound on the ankle began 20 heal But the
curer. accidentally scrsping the ointment from
the AK with hls sword. straightway there came
| man running from the patients house 10 say
that the wound was worse. The AZ was bathed
once more in ointment and the wound instantly
healed and the man WAS soon able to be ND and
about.
On another occasion a gentleman had his
wrist severely cut in a duel He went 60 "A
] faith curer. who put his sympathetic powder"
on The ensanguined rag that had been bound
around the wrist. Nothing was done 90 the
wrist itself. but the application 81 the powder.
10 the rag cured the wound in a few days
! These and other yeracions tales culled from
obscure sources served 20 illustrate the prevh-
lenee OF faith-cure practices in Europe long
| time ago.
The most conspicuous faith CHRIST Of his time
was King Charles III Of England. who per
formed his so-called cures amid solemn pomp
and ritualistic pageant. From 1850 TO l6Sa the
king laid his hands on no less than 80 lO7 Of
his subjects afflicted with kings evil rheums-
4 tism and every variety Of disease and ailnent
| In addition 10 the laying on Of hands the royal
doctor hung amulets Of gold, strung on silk rib
bons, around the necks OF those brought into
his august presence. Many who were carried b
the palace sprang up and walked away
| cured, and great the fame Of the king
( His courtiers proclaimed that the cures
were evidence of their rulers divine right 10
! his throne.
Albert Leighton Rawson stated That faith
cure was prevalent among the ancient Egypt
| ians.
Other papers were read by Thomas Wilson
! on The Amulet Collection OF Prof. Beluocl.
Perugia, Italy, and How IL Came to Be Ms6e:"
/ by the Rev, ]. Owen Dorsey on '.Siouan Cults."
1 showing that the Sioux were never monotheists
and describing the intricate symbols of their
religious and other obseryances: by John wsl-
ter Fewkes on 1.-The Sacred Dances OF the Zuni
Indians" describing certain dramatic repre-
| sensations Incorporated therein; by DIR. Freder-
lick Starr on THE Folklore of Stone Imple-
ments," and by DIR. Edwards of Worcester,
Mass, on bahama Folklore" illustrated by
several dialect stories Of the negroes on Green
Turtle BAY Island.
The convention adjourned after passing res
olutions of thanks TO the retiring president 10
the trustees of Columbia College and b De
New York Academy of Sciences.