The Ordway new era., 1907-01-11
(I11VE UUU bEEItFO
esr supsRsrir,oNs FOUND the
WORLD OVER.
Strange Remedies and Means Of war'
ING on Disease-Mystlc Number
Barred From Austro-Hun-
aarian Hospitals.


pet superstitions and deluslons can
be found in every household. When
there Is case OF sickness IN the
house and some domestic animal dies
you will find that some think the pa
tient will surely recover. The most
persistent superstions in the world
are those that are based upon the
habits of animals" said DR.. ]. Dudley
Morgan. of Washington. III one is
walking at night and spiderweb
brushes the face il Is supposed 10
mean that a ghost Is following, but in
daytlme 1t tells that a stranger Is
coming. The neigh OF horse is a
portent OF death which will come from
tho quarter from which his head is
pointing when he neighs.
THE hair OF n dog, the skin OF
snake and the pelt OF black cat are
believed to possess medicinal qualities.
while the handling of a toad IS said 10
give warts. German Canadians arc
full OF superstition. \ white srider
crawling toward one. the bowling Of
dog. the sight OF a snake all forelel
death. The killing OF toad or the
Growing OF a hen foretells rain. II the
cat washes its face 1t means that yls-
itors are coming. II bee stIngs Kill
1t and the wound will not swell. The
black tooth of 4 hog and the blood OF
black hen hav" curative powers.
In a certain district in Germany the
touch OF corpse's hand is still re
garded as curative OF many local Ills.
Less grewsome is the remedy for
hernia still applied in the marsh euun-
try. On the night Of 81. John the Bap-
lists day. June -. patient must be
dragged through the split OF 4 cleft
ash tree. Three men bearing the
first name of John must perform the
operation and It must be conducted in
dead silence. For erysipelas a IRE IS
lighted and pinch OF ashes from It is
rubbed on the skin. to the accompani-
ment OF saying TO the effect that the
ashes and the sore went over the Red
sea together. the ash came back but
the sore never again.
Recently in Georgetown police
man was bitten by a supposed poison
Gus snake and the old remedy OF XIII
ing chickens. cutting them open and
applying them TO the bite until the
chickens were cold and did not turn
black was tried. Twenty-six chickens
were used on the policeman In ex.
tracing the poison. This remedy for
cramps is used to-day In other places
than Georgetown. on going 10 rest
put your slippers under the bed and
turn the soles upward
In the wards OF Garfield hospital
last fall there was patient who in
sisted on keeping several apples under !
his bed to help the dropsy. The things
that people will carry within their
pockets. wear around their necks or
bodies or put on their fingers are
legion Have white potato in each
pocket of your trousers and you will
never be troubled with rheumatism or
IL you suffer with cough and cold ex.
change the potato for lump OF cam
phor- No doubt there are some OF US
who now have a horse chestnut in our
pockets or are wearing nickel ring
Several years ago the writer was in
duced by an intelligent and consld.
crate friend to wear 4 nutmeg for OBJ
stinate boils.
In no other western European
country is superstition so prevalent as
in Austria-Hungary. Quite recently |
the chamberlsin's Office changed the |
of box Is in the Imperial opera
house and the Imperial Court theater
because the public objected TO sitting |
in box bearing this unlucky number.
But this superstition reaches its height |
In medicine Speaking of the health !
Dr.. Heinrich Grun declared /,
that in many instances superstition. |
and especially local superstition. was |
an absolute means TO public health. In |
the Austrian hospitals one finds nc |
block or pavilion Is, no ward IS or
staircase Is. Very few patients will |
consent to be operated on on the thir-
teenth- And in that respect Friday,
Too. Is considered Just as uulucky."