With the gypsies, as among the early Accadians, diseases are supposed to be caused by evil supernatural influences. This is more naturally the case among people who lead very simple lives, and with whom sickness is not almost a natural or normal condition, as it is with ladies and gentlemen, or the inhabitants of cities, who have "always something the matter with them." Nomadic life is conducive to longevity. "Our grandfathers died on the gallows--we die from losing our teeth," said an old gypsy to Doctor von Wlislocki, when asked what his age was. Therefore among all people who use charms and spells those which are devoted to cure occupy the principal position. However, the Hungarian Romany have many medicines, more or less mysterious, which they also apply in connection with the "healing rhymes." And as in the struggle for life the weakest go first to the wall, the remedies for the diseases of children are predominant. When a mother begins to suffer the pangs of childbirth, a fire is made before her tent, which is kept up till the infant is baptized, in order to drive away evil spirits. Certain women feed this fire, and while fanning it (fans being used for bellows) murmur the following rhyme:-- "Oh yakh, oh yakh pçabuva, Pçabuva, Te cavéstár tu trádá, Tu trada, Pçúvushen te Nivashen Tire tçuva the traden! Lace Urmen ávená, Caves báçtáles dena, Káthe hin yov báçtáles, Andre lime báçtáles! Motura te ráná, Te átunci but' ráná, Motura te ráná, Te átunci, but' ráná, Me dav' andre yákherá! Oh yákh, oh yákh pçabuva, Rovel cavo: áshuna!" It may here be remarked that the pronunciation of all these words is the same as in German, with the following additions. C = teh in English, or to ch in church. C = ch in German as in Buch. J = azs, or the English j, in James; n, as in Spanish, or nj in German, while sh and y are pronounced as in English. Á is like ah. The literal translation is:-- "Oh Fire, oh Fire, burn! Burn! And from the child (do) thou drive away Drive away! Pçuvuse and Nivashi And drive away thy smoke (pl.) (Let) good fairies come (and) Give luck to the child, Here it is lucky (or fortunate) In the world fortunate Brooms and twigs (fuel) And then more twigs, And then yet more twigs I put (give) to the fire. Oh fire, oh fire--burn! The child weeps: listen!" In South Hungary the gypsy women on similar occasions sing the following charm:-- "Eftá Pçuvushá, efta Niváshá André mal avená Pçabuven, pçabuven, oh yákhá! Dáyákri punro dindálen, Te gule caves mudáren; Pçabuven, pçabuven, oh yákhá; Ferinen o caves te daya!"