Evening star., 1952-05-25
Medical Superstitions
OfPast Ages Placed on
Display al Museum
BY WoIIoce {. cIcyton

" WUuuCS e NiuytOn
Believe in this little gem Of
advice, and you'll save q lot Of
money on baby -sitters:
Let the superstitious wife
Near the child's head lay q
knife
Point be up and haft be
downe
while she gossips in the
towne
This 'mong other mystic
charms
Keep the sleeping child from
HARM"
Nonsense? Don't be silly. If
you were an up-to-date mother In
the 17th century, you'd depend
on the knife trick just like q
modern-day parent depends on
her mother-in-law.
This cant fail" rhyme was
just one of many medical super
stitions unearthed by officials Of
the Medical Museum when they
rummaged through the Armed
Forces Institute of Pathology files.
Their findings have been set up
as the Museums latest exhibit.
Medical superstitutions is the sub
iect. You pick your disease and
look for the required theraputic
charm.
Stone Is Essential.
For instance, the cautious
householder of the middle ages
would sooner hunt on the Kings
preserves than go on a trip with
out a trusty bezoar stone tucked
IN his pocket. These stones (gallI
stones, we call them now were
supposed to be endowed with al
certain power of disease immunity
If they were taken from a deer.
Carry one In the pocket of your
doublet, and you had built-in in
surance. Smallpox? Poof! Leprosy?
Never give 1t a thought. Epilepsy?
Couldn't happen to q publican!
OF course, the sharpies were
operating then. and Museum ON
cials say many q good man wasl
taken for his years taxes by al
eharlatan who professed to have
THE stone. So the good man came
down with smallpox, and resolved
thereafter to trade with q repu-
table alchemist. II he lived.
Another dodge Of the fast
money boys was to palm OF hon
est-to-goodneSS. guaranteed pow
dered Egyptian mummy dust. A
small vial was q 10th century
cure-all. II it didn't protect you
against fatality, what was the diff
ference? The deceased was never
around to complain.
Restoration Restorative.
You didn't have to be poor and
stupid to be taken. either. Charles
II Of England. who didn't die until
enlightened 1858, paid $4,000
pounds for . formula for Cod
dard's drops made from raw silk.
The folks of 18th century Eur
ope figured epilepsy could never
happen here Il their necks were
decorated with, Q parchment in-
scribed with the names Of the
Three Wise Men-Gaspar, Bal
thasar and Melchior.
Certain oak trees In Robin
Hoods England were supposed to
be endowed with great curative
powers. Getting cured Of the
ague tchills and fevero didn't hurt
much more than an untrained
hand jabbing YOU with q blunt
hypodermic needle. Just make. al
knife cut in a tree. and stick into
the cut q hefty lock yanked from
your hair.
The 17th Century Britisher put
great store by colored glass FASH
ioned into q ball. Hang one up.
and the evil disease spirits got
tangled up in q merry-go-round.
Kidney trouble was a cinch to
go away if you drank from q
wooden cup. they also believed.
Try Chicken Feathers.
Some Widwesterners of a CEN
tury ago felt white chicken fea-
theirs were the latest theraputic
word. Here's the recipe for get
ting rid Of corns:
After breakfast take a feather
from the left wing of q chicken,
and spit on it; mark a cross on
the corn, then throw the feather
over the left shoulder. Don't look
at it. (That Is importantly. The
corn disappears with the feather"
So 1t didn't work? Ride o horse
In the future.
These prescriptions and many
more are available at the Museum.
One word Of warning though.
Ofhcials insist none have ANY
theraputic value!