School: Baile na Groighe

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1. Local Cures

   

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   For to cure a headache they used to put out a handkerchief on St Bridget's night and say a prayer to St Bridget over it. Then when they would have a headache they would put the handkerchief around their heads. For toothaces they used to pay rounds to a grave in which Father Hyde was buried in Ballinagree church and they used to rub the earth to their teeth. For a bleeding nose they used to put something cold down their backs and sometimes they used to put a wet towel around their necks and lie down on the ground. To cure sore eyes they used to rub cold tea to them. To cure a cut they used to put a cobweb down it. For a cough they used to gather the dandelion and point it into a pulp then put it into spring water and bottle it. For a bad stomach they used to drink buttermilk. For whooping cough they used to drink whatever milk the ferret would leave after him. To cure the sting of a nettle they used to rub a dock-leaf to it. If you went up to Mushera on St. John's Day with toothaces and if you drank some of the water in the well you would never again get toothaches. If you had a cough and to get a few stems of dandelion and bruise the juice out of them and drink it you would be cured. If you threw a few raw potatoes in the fire and when they were hot to put them into a cloth and put them around your neck they would cure a sore throat.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. medical practice
         1. folk medicine (~11,815)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Lena Twomey

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   13

   Address

   Horsemount South, Co. Cork