The Doctor in History, Literature, Folk-Lore, Etc.
History
The Doctor in History, Literature, Folk-Lore, Etc.
Literature and medicine; Physicians; Physicians in literature
"This superstition was common some years ago in Derbyshire, where there
was an odd way of extracting, as it was thought, the worm. A small
quantity of a mixture, consisting of dried and powdered herbs, was placed
in a tea-cup or other small vessel, and a live coke from the fire was
dropped in. The patient then held his or her open mouth over the cup, and
inhaled the smoke as long as it could be borne. The cup was then taken
away, and a fresh cup or glass, containing water, was then put before the
patient. Into this cup the patient breathed hard for a few moments, and
then, it was supposed, the grub or worm could be seen in the water."[4]
The following was communicated to the _Folk Lore Journal_ by Wm. Pengelly,
Esq., Torquay, February 1st, 1884:--
"Upwards of sixty years ago, a woman at Looe, in south-east Cornwall,
complained to a neighbouring woman that she was suffering from
toothache, on which the neighbour remarked that she could give a charm
of undoubted efficacy. It was to be in writing, and worn constantly
about the person; but, unfortunately, it would be valueless if the
giver and receiver were of the same sex. This difficulty was obviated
by calling in my services, and requesting me to write from dictation
the following words:--
'Peter sat in the gate of Jerusalem. Jesus cometh unto him and saith,
"Peter, what aileth thee?" He saith, "Lord, I am grievously tormented
with the toothache." He saith, "Arise, Peter, and follow me." He did
so, and immediately the toothache left him; and he followed him in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'
The charm, being found to be correctly written, was held to have been
presented to me by the dictator. I at once gave it to the sufferer,
who placed it in a small bag and wore it round her neck."
A Roumanian charm against toothache is to sit beside an anthill, masticate
a crust of bread, spit it out over the anthill, and as the ants eat the
bread the toothache will cease.
Some believe that if you pick the aching tooth with the nail of an old
coffin, or drink the water taken from the tops of three waves, the
wearying pain may be relieved or cured. In Norfolk, the toothache is
called the "love pain," and the sufferer does not receive much sympathy.
Some time ago, a man wished to shew me some antiquity he had found, but
his jacket pocket was so filled with odds and ends ("kelterment," he
called it) that he turned all out in order to better prosecute his search.
Among the miscellaneous collection I noticed a potato, withered, dry,
hard, and black; and was informed it was kept as a preventive and cure for
rheumatism. For the same distressing, disabling disease, some people
spread treacle on brown paper, and apply hot to the part affected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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