Curiosities of Olden TimesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Curiosities of Olden Times
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Curiosities and wonders
To those who suffer from toothaches he recommends the practice of a
learned professor under whom he studied. This man suffered excruciating
torture from his teeth at night. The professor, the moment that his
sufferings began, was wont to leave his bed and spend his night in jumping
on to his table, and then jumping down again, till the pain ceased.
Paullini does not state the feelings of those who slept in the room
immediately underneath that occupied by Dr. Erasmus Vinding; neither does
it seem clear at first sight how the jumping diversion is connected with
the subject of the rod, concerning the merits of which the book treats;
but on further consideration the connection becomes apparent. Dr. Paullini
being silent on this point, we have but the light of nature to guide us to
the conclusion that the saltatory performances of Dr. Erasmus would arouse
and exasperate the other lodgers into an application of the universal
panacea to his scantily protected person.
For constitutional indolence the rod is inestimable; the monotony of its
use as a specific may, however, be pleasingly varied by an application of
corporal punishment in the following disguised form, which, if severe, is
nevertheless infallible as a cure. Hermann Habermann, a native of Mikla,
deserves the credit of being the first to communicate it to the medical
profession. Habermann had spent many years in Iceland, and it was there
that he saw the treatment in use. An artisan suffering from indolence was
recommended by a native doctor to let himself be sewn up in a sack stuffed
with wool, and then be dragged about, rolled down hill, thumped, kicked,
and jumped upon by his friends and acquaintances. When he emerged from the
sack he was to take a draught to open his pores, and to go to bed. The
remedy was tried, and succeeded.
A somewhat similar cure came under Paullini’s personal observation. A
nobleman had a jester who was dotingly fond of fowls. He stole all his
master’s poultry, so that his master was obliged to do without eggs for
his breakfast. The fool, moreover, was deficient in fun, and was by no
means worth his keep. At last his master determined on correcting him
severely. He had him sewn up in a hop-bag and well thrashed, and then
rolled down hill and thrashed again. The fool never stole eggs from that
day forward, and from being but a poor fool he became one famous for his
brilliant parts and sparkling humour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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