School: Westland (roll number 8428)

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1. Local Cures, Herbs and Weeds

   

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   Local cures in former times were made by people called quacks. Bleeding was the foremost remedy for nearly all diseases. It was done by old men here and there in the Country in the Spring-time. When a person was seriously ill, the first thing the doctor would ask was, were they bled, and if not he would say there would be no chance of the patient living. In later years doctors would not agree to that cure and then it died away.
   There was a man named Porter in Cliffin. He was a great man at making curs for diseased bones and an ailment called "evil". He was very successful, but he died about four years ago and it is thought that he told on one his cures.
   Another disease that was very common with children was called "The dirty mouth". The cure that people had for that disease was to take the child to a man or woman that was born after their father died and get that person to blow their breath nine times in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost into the child's mouth. People firmly believed that cured the child.
   A cure that was believed in for toothache was to make a promise not to shave on Sunday it nearly always cures a man.

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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

   Doris Ormiston

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Mullagh, Co. Cavan

   Informant

   Mr W. Ormiston

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Mullagh, Co. Cavan