School: Balscadden (roll number 9492)
- Location:
- Balscaddan, Co. Dublin
- Teachers: P. Ó Séaghdha Francis Shaw
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0783, Page 163
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- Supplied by Mr Thos Reilly
163Balscadden
Local CuresThe older inhabitants still believe in the cure from herbs and are slow to forsake them for the doctor's bottle. In this parish many people had the cures for different ailments but unfortunately the cures "died" with the lucky people and hence the old cures are nearly a thing of the past. The simple cure for a sty on the eye was to get a neighbour to point a gooseberry dock at the sty nine times on each of three consecutive days, while doing so the person used the prayer - In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy-Ghost. The dock was thrown over the left shoulder.
Our Local well (St Mary's) is still visited by people for washing their sore eyes in the waters. Those who believe in this cure seldom fail to get relief. A rather gruesome cure for the tooth-ache is handed down from olden time. If a person had the nerve to pull a tooth out of a skull found in a grave-yard, and carried this tooth around always that person would never suffer from teeth trouble. The ordeal was to pull the tooth out of the(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Neta Flood
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Mr Thomas Reilly
- Gender
- Male
