Show Needs To Know More Detail of oi Early Medical Superstitions Much is known and has been written about herbal medicine and time old-time American folk medical prescriptions according according according accord accord- ing to Professor Wayland D. D Hand of UCLA National Authority Authority Author Author- ity on folk medicine but very little work has been done on magical medical practices in America Prof Hand who is teaching in the Summer session Utah State University Logan is busy writing a standard work on American folk medicine and is eager to harvest some of the little known time old-time medical lore to be found in Utah and other parts of the West About folk medical healers themselves If a woman married a man who had the same last name did this confer upon her herthe herthe herthe the gift of healing Could a aper- aper per person son be healed simply by begging bread from a man named Joseph whose wife was named Mary like the holy couple or by seeking seeking seeking seek seek- ing the ministrations of a couple named Juan and Juanita Was it ever thought in the west that a man riding a white whitehorse whitehorse whitehorse horse could deliver a remedy for curing hiccoughs or that a posthumous child could automatically automatically automatically auto auto- cure thrush in children children children chil chil- dren by blowing into their throats Prof Hand is also interested in various magical folk medical practices Passing through through- was an time old-time cure for a number number number num num- ber of diseases In other parts of the country it was recommended recommended mended for asthma hiccoughs rupture and certain childhood diseases The patient was pulled or handed through natural l clefts in trees holes in stones under brambles and briars through warm horse collars rungs of ladders through rungs and legs of chairs through his fathers father's pants t through h r 0 ugh his mothers mother's bloomers or through a clergyman's clergyman's clergyman's clergy clergy- mans man's vestment Were these beliefs and customs customs customs cus cus- toms known in the In some parts of the country Prof Hand says children are still passed under the stomach of a donkey Were diseases here plugged wedged or nailed into trees door jambs masonry or other places for riddance or safe sale keeping Usually this was done by boring a hole with an auger placing the dressings of the wound in the hole and then plugging plugging plug plug- ging the disease in with an oaken stob or a plug of hickory Were the sick taken to holy wells or streams Was baptism itself thought to cure a person or to tone up his health Did white settlers avail themselves of the Indian sweat house cures ures mud baths and the like Hand is eager to find western examples of the magical transference transference transference trans trans- ference of disease to animals t trees r e e s and even eve n to other humans usually humans usually the dead Was rheumatism thought to be communicated to cats and dogs who slept with the victims of this disease Were chills and fever communicated communicated com corn to f fro frogs r o g s and other small creatures which took on the disease and shook themselves themselves themselves them them- selves to death Were diseases transferred to trees by means of string at attached attached attached at- at to them from the patient Were warts wens and other excrescences placed into coffins coffins coffins cof cof- fins to be carried off by the dead or did it suffice simply to utter a verbal charm of transference transference transference trans trans- ference as a funeral cortege passed by What about folk medical in inhalants inhalants inhalants in- in and cases such as sufferers sufferers suf suf- from respiratory ailments ailments ailments ail ail- ail ail- ments breathing the chaff and dust from a grist mill inhaling the vapors of the gas works the lime kiln or even the privy What about taking the patient to toa a high place for a change of airor air air- airor or into a mine or cave for the same purpose Please send answers to these and similar questions with Information in information information in- in formation as to when and where first heard and the background of the informant to Professor Austin E. E Fife The West's Folklore Heritage Utah State University Logan Utah |