The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-08
PLANT HEALER"
 GROWS ON PLAIN Weird Pilgrimage Made by ROumanian Peasants GO ONCE EVERY YEAR Cures Sought by Sleeping Among the Strange Plants-Great Solem- nifty Is Observed in Taking
 the Cure"
GO ONCE EVERY YEAR

From the Wide World.
 "The widest pilgrimage on earth,'' is the phrase in which one writer describes the ceremony which takes place once a year. on the night of the Ascension, at a place in Roumania.
 Situated to the northeast of the town of Targu-Giu, in the western division of Roumania. is great arid plain, and on it grows 6 wonderful plant, termed in the vernacular Frasinel (the healer) or in Latin. Dictamnus albus or Dlctamnue pers.
 .1he peasant firmly believe that night this one night of the year-spent among the plants will cure all ills, and they flock to the place by thousands It was to sec this pilgrimage without a parallel that we visited the place on the eve of the Ascension.
 .'On reaching the edge of the plain Vt find many hundreds of carts, and every moment the crowd is increased by new corners. In the distance can be seen groILs occupying claims. Others further atield are searching for the plant. Those in charge of the carts are engaged on their evening meal of bread or mamali- ga tnaize meaD. with onions, olives or 2arac.
 All are shivering with cold, for no fire muct be lighted there tonight. On every othei occasion the opportunity of an out ing IS seized as an excuse for much wine drinking, but today the great wooden wine bottle, the ploska, is strangely ab- sent. All one sees are the graceful eartnenware water jars, from which one drinks from an opening in the handle.
 People from all parts of western Rou- visit this nf mi cures. Arrived at the ground where the plant is mostly to be found, each party hunts out root. At dusk a clean white sheet is spread near it and the sick per- sou, also in white. takes his place upon it. Three holy candles are then placed about the plant, as also bowl of water.
 Prayers Repeated
 Then the patient-by proxy for he must not speak a word from the time he lies down until he gets up the following morning-says the prayers used this occasion. These are chanted by old wom- en known as "mutuza,' or aunts, and should be repeated 15 times in order 10 efft ct a cure. These aunts act in turn for different persons, receiving from each a loaf of bread and whatever else the sick person can afford to give.
 ''I he pilgrim sleeps all night with his head close to the stalks of the plant, or evergreen leaves, or blades of grass. In tine morning, immediately after sunrise, the bowl must be examined, for if this happens to contain leaves or blades of grass. then the augury is good and the patient will eventually recover.
 If however, it contains dead leaves, bits of earth, sand, or the like, then the portent is death. and that soon So im- plicit Is the belief in the augury that when 1t Is unfavorable in the case of a child the peasant parents very. often give tie little one no further attention, regarding it as doomed anyway.
 ",fhCse to whom the bowl oracle is fla Vorable must pluck their plant and on the way home cast it into running water. That directs the course of the maady away from them These fortunate ones who received good signs generally come second and a third year.
 "The Roumanian peasant goes to bed early, and so before it is fairly dark the plain is left to the sick pilgrims. When we were there comparatively few specta- tors stayed to see the night vigil through. The sick themselves, except for the poor wretchos whose sufferings made rest im- possible. were wrapped in sleep. With the candles twinkling besides them and their heads toward the guardian plants they looked like phantoms in their white garments.
 'The 'aunts moved slowly among them, lighting d taper blown out by the wind, or sitting chanting the prayers in the hideous nasal manner of the Greek church. Where there was a child one or other of it's relatives sat by it; all others had returned to their carts to sleep in or unler them