The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-07-09
MEDICINE LORE OF FISH,
Much Real Value and Particular
Virtue Is Ascribed to Them.
Bunalo Courier.1
unusuaIly - SOC. ncarlv In OF
\ MEDICINE fishes have hiIed AZ

unusually large space, nearly all of
the better known species having
been. at one time o. allasl.ar. held as
cure for the cd-Ee of S1Tec aIIment.
These superst;i s;:s arc not confined IL
one country alone, IuJ SEEN spread
ali over lie Uor3si. and are c.mm0E
from the earliest ages. \ few OF fhs Sc
ttranditiOns are founded Cn f3ct. hut Re
great majority are ficsion pare and
simple
The common tench has bepn termed
the fishes rlyste. al, and Camden. ~
1 hiS Britannia, states that he had seen
the bellies Dc pixies close by the tCut
of the teRCE aud b. their glutmoGs
slime perfectly healed up At one :.Ie
certain archaeological writers be-
lieved that pike. perch and eefs knew
OF this propensity Of the tench and
spared it in consequence. IN olden
times il used TO be applied to the
palms Of the hands and feet in order to
absorb fever OF laid over the liver in
case Of 3aUndice, when the fish. il was
asserted became yellow and / aained
the disease It was to be buried a once
after being removed. In case of
nervous headache the fish would be
tied TO the temples, while for sore eyes.
1t was wound around the neck. 1t
would stop hemOrrhage. and was said
10 be efhcatious in obstinate cases Of
worms
In Russia the small millers' thumb
(cOttus Cobb Is employed a. a charm
against fevers. Il the tire of Ga.cn
the flesh OF TIE electric fishes wSs re-
commended - he eaten Uy CDiIeItie
persons, WEO were likewise to have
shocks from. ire living fish applied to
their heads Even prior to this T'Is-
corides had recommended its external
application for pains in the head. while
inc ffo4-sa
from govt were advised TO place the
affected part on one OF these fishes ard
Keep II there until the numbne5s ex-
tended as high as the knee. In Aby:s-
sinia fever was. cured with an electric
eel, while the tetr0don was said TO be
excellent IN lung affections.
The Welsh consider the oil from tie
liver Of the sting ray to be good Tor
burns and other wounds. while the
NoTWegians use the oil from the liver
of the king Of herTings (chimaera
montrosa) for treating some disorders
Of the eyes The latter is also. said to
be good for all wounds and bruises
The oil of the turbot Is considered a
good external remedy for swellings,
while the gall is said to be excellent for
affections Of the eyes. The oil from the
liver Of many fishes is used medi-
cinaliy, the more notable examples be-
ing the cod and the oolacha0. or
The eggs of the angelfsh were at
one time dried and used incidentally
while its skin was also dried. and when
powdered prescribed for itch and other
skin diseases. When the flesh Of the
SKI illed. or Mediterranean SHARK. =
eaten it is said 10 act as a strong
purgative. Sharks teeth rubbed on the
gums We're said TO help children
speedily through the trying teething
period. while the liver Of the murOena
cured poisonous bites. The lamprey,
while having an ulOulenet- reputation,
was said 70 remove smallpox scars
when its fat was applied TO them.
That rubbing TIE part affected with a
red herring viii cure rheumatism is
positively asserted by the old fisher
men OF England. while in Scotland
toothache can be got rid OF by carry
ing about the person a piece of dog
fish, the FISH being returned alive to
the water after the excissou is made.
a quite general tradition IS that
whOOping cough can be cured BY put
ting a live FISH into the chiids mouth.
After being used the fish must be
thrown back into the water alive
Cancer could be cured by tying d crab
TO The affected part
Eels were favOrite subjects with the
old physicians. Hippocrates forbade
tkeir use as food in tabes and diseased
spleen. while Galen prescribed them as
2 medicine in nephritic complaints.
where the gluten might be thought to
convert gTale into stone. Piiny claimed
their use as food impaired the singing
voice. while they cleared choieric or
phIegmatic humors out Of the system.
likewise the infrmities Of the spleen.
Tie monks Of SalernO did not ike
them. and complained that to live on
eels IS a sure recipe for spelling the
voice
Il al old manuscript of the four
tenth century persons who desire TO
avoid collie are recommended to make