Milford chronicle., 1920-10-08
AMULETS AND CHARMS

When the President arose to make
his statement to congressional guests
on February he accidentally pulled
from his pocket a bit of red cloth,
which fell to the floor.
He explained that he had dropped
his conjure bag. used for the rheuma-
| tism and for other purposes.
The amulet, which occupies a de-
tached and distinct place in the fasci
mating story of charms, talismens and
superstitions in general, has been of
various types and substances. Prec-
ious stones, metals, wood of many
kinds and even strips of parchment,
have been among the commonest
forms. Herbs and animal preparations
of different sorts have in the past
been priced and preserved as being in
fallible projections against witch
craft, sickness and accident.
The earliest amulets naturally have
an oriental origin, for the eastern
races have ever cherished an undying
belief in the presence of occult evil
influences, hence their superstitious
trust in talismans and similar charms
as a counteracting influence.
The use of amul has been practical
" universal. The ancient Egyptians, Z
the Greeks and the Romans and other /
early races had their special charms /
against misfortune, both physical and /
social, and traces of this deep-rooted /
belief may be found in the early Chris
tian Church.
Toothache and kindred pains being
among the most common of all COM
plants, it is but natural that amulets
directly concerned with cOunteracting
.hese evils should be among the ear
lest on record.
Among different Indian races the
Doth of crOcOdile-in many cases
embellished by a silver
II gold mOunt-strung around the Z
leck was considered a powerful anti
ote for toothache. Teeth human as !
veil as animal, mounted and sus- :
ended in various ways. have formed :
v no means a small proportion of !
hese curious tOothache amulets in use 5
mong the native peoples of Africa, :
sia and certain parts of Europe. I
Spain, of all European countries, J
as firmly believed in a multitudiOus i
rray of amulets for all sorts and 4
1nditions of ills. At the present day, !.
Owever, particularly in the cities, Z.
lis belief is rapidly dying away, al
Iough many forms of religious med :.
s are still worn.
In Europe and the orient horn-shap
pieces of bone or rOugh-surfaced =
ltler were at one time in great use 6
+ children in teething. For an amult 2
ne was considered particularly eff
acious, and not only for tOOthache, =
t for protection.
George Borrow writes that In An
lusia, if an evil glance fall upon a
lid wearing it ii the the amulD
2 little horn takes the veil upon it.
4 and breaks" Boars' tusks, deer's
rms, claws of various animals and
my kind of bone, coral jet, ETC., are
ong the forms of toothache amults =
It have in the past obtained in It
and Spain.
The foil wing, somewhat greusOme,
,cedure as a cure for tOothache is
d to have Mortified an English
rist who fingered in a country 2
during a funeral. Among
mourners was a young man with
swollen cheek and an extremely z
cted look. Presently the supposed
urner took up a skull lying upon 2
heap of dry mold and crumpled
es thrown up in the course of dig
g the grave. He raised the skull q
MS lips and with his own teeth ex- -
cted a tooth from the skull, he -
n threw the squll carelessly away, a
ipped the tooth in a paper and put
ntO his pocket. Many eyes were
d upon the young man, but no face
ressed surprise.
can you tell me why he did that?"
traveller asked of an old man.
rely sir was the reply. "Thon n
r boy was very bad wi the tooth
E. an it's allowed to be a cure if
draw a tooth from a skull wi M
r ain teeth He'll sew thon tooth ~
lis clothes, an wear it as long as -
ives"
he yodel showed where he had a
lar tooth sewed in his waistcoast
Its five year since l pulled that
the same way, and never touch
le toOthache had | since"
ne old charm of carrying a horse
tnut would be far more pleasant
to swallow nine hairs pulled out
black cats tail as a cure for
lache. a cure most strongly rec
lended in some parts of Donegal.