School: Oileán Ciarraí (roll number 10956)

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1. Local Cures

   

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   To cure a toothache people used to put pepper or a piece of brown paper steeped in whiskey about the gum. Salt too was often put into the hole in the tooth, while some people - non smokers - believed in taking a few (?) of the pipe to cure it. Others resorted to bathing the temples in cold water as a cure.

   If a child had a disease called the thrush the usual cure was to get a gander that had been fasting for 3 days and get it to roar (?) down the child's throat and it always was reliable. To cure the chin cough, the leavings left where a ferret drank his milk was given to the child and it used be cured in a few days.

   Old people used to pick herbs which were only known to some of them, and people suffering with sores or diseases used them as poultices or drinks and they they after proved successful. For T.B. for instance the roots of the dandelion or Caisearbhán Caol Dearg were crushed up and mixed with water or something to make a bottle - as a bottle of medicine - and used by the sufferer.

   There was also a belief that the seventh son in a family - that is without any girl intervening or coming before him in the family - has curing powers and any cure he'll give you will succeed. A child born sometime after it father its father's death, that is a child that never saw its father is supposed to cure Craos Galar by breathing over the child.

   

   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

   Michael Mc Gillicuddy

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Killegane, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Mrs Mary Mc Gillicuddy

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   85

   Address

   Killegane, Co. Kerry