School: Burrane, Inis (roll number 13738)

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1. Local Cures - Cure for Chincough

   

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   Many of the superstitious and ignorant parents in this locality formerly believed (and even some believe in it yet) that their children when suffering from the rather common complaint of Chin-cough could be cured by any recipe or direction given by any man who may chance to pass by their homes (there should be nothing pre-arranged between the parties - otherwise no cure would be effected) riding on a white horse. The following story is told of a local wit (who had sense enough not to believe in such silliness) who procured a white horse and rode past the house of a certain woman in the locality (whose tongue was rather sharp and which she had used against him now and again.) whose children he knew were suffering very severely from Chin-cough at the time. She saw him coming along and approached him with the usual "formula" (which has to be faithfully repeated if the "cure" is to be effective) "Oh man on the white horse what cure have you for Chin-cough". He had resolved to have revenge for her previous tongue-wagging so he gave her the following directions:- "Oh woman", he said "Your children are in a bad way from this dreadful disease and hence the remedy I suggest must be rather severe. You must bathe at dawn (just before the sun rises) in the River Shannon

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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)
            1. medicine for human sicknesses
               1. whooping-cough (~234)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Patrick Culligan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Burrane Upper, Co. Clare