In olden times in Ireland, infact until quite recently people did not go to doctors to get cured of their ailments. Instead they believed in home remedies, they believed that certain people, certain places, certain poultices herbs and other things possessed healing powers.
There are many remedies applied to certain diseases and complaints - the milk left behind by a ferret is used to cure the whooping-cough, or to run three times between the legs of an untrained colt. An ivy leaf was used to extract a corn. A remedy for a stye on the eye is to pull ten thorns of a goose-berry bush and then throw away one, then point the nine three times to the eye, this can only be done on Mondays and Thursdays. A very local cure for sore eyes is to wash them in cold tea, or to