School: Burrane, Inis (roll number 13738)

Location:
Burrane Upper, Co. Clare
Teacher:
Mícheál Ó Tuama
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0600, Page 046

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0600, Page 046

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  1. XML School: Burrane, Inis
  2. XML Page 046
  3. XML “Local Cures - Cure for "Craos Galar"”

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  1. Cure for "Craos Galar".
    In this and surrounding locatilies many people believed (and still believe) that a Posthumous Child possesses the power of curing "Craos Galar"- a disease of the tongue and palate in children. It generally affects very young children and is held to be dangerous if not combated immediately it makes its appearance. The affected children had to be brought to the Posthumous child three mornings in succession. Both parteis should be fasting. The Posthumous child had to breathe or blow his or her breath thee times each morning into the open mouth of the patient who was then considered perfectly "cured". If the afflicted one could not be brought to the house of the Posthumous child then the latter had to go to the former's house.
    N.B. Three Posthumous children were pupils of this school since my appointment as Principal Teacher here over 31 years ago. Needless to say I have discouraged and denounced this silly superstitious belief but notwithstanding this the custom still prevails. I remember some years ago one of these Posthumous children (now a young man of about 23 years or so) gave me the following excuse for his absence from school
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    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. medical practice
        1. folk medicine (~11,815)
          1. medicine for human sicknesses
            1. thrush (~69)
    Language
    English