School: Davidstown (roll number 9682)

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1. Local Cures

   

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   Tooth ache:- weed, forge water.
   Falling sickness:- forge water.
   Whooping cough:- godfather tied a red string round child's neck, where it remained till cough was cured.
   Worms in children:- Canaban beg [?] (bog cotton) infused. Certain women were supposed to have an "art". They brewed herbs & without seeing the child could tell if really was suffering from worms because the infusion "frothed up". Directions given by one of these women for using the cure is: give child 3 spoonsful in the Name of the Trinity. Then the father rubs the medicine one forehead, breast, stomach, palms of hands & soles of feet - making sign of cross on each part - three times a day for 3 or if necessary for 9 days. Some won't take money but goods - others take money. None will give information for any purpose except as a "cure". (Mrs Kate Byrne, Ballyeden - uses the "cure". Also Mrs Ann Keating, Bree.
   Stye:- Prick three times with gooseberry thorn in name of Trinity.
   Cuts:- arnica or healing leaf.
   Ivy leaf Corns.
   Bleeding was stopped by a special prayer. This prayer could be given only to a person to whom the power was being handed over.
   Ringworm:- Gunpowder & ink.
   Shingles:- A woman married to a man whose surname was the same as her maiden name, pricked her finger. Then a circle was drawn with the blood around the body of the sufferer. The popular belief was that if the shingles made a complete circle round the body

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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)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mrs Margaret Dempsey

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   76

   Address

   Ballygillistown, Co. Wexford