Medical Lore and old wives Tales

To Cure What Sickens You-

For a Stitch in the Side-Rub the part affected with unsalted butter and make the sign of the cross seven times over the place.

For Weak Eyes- A deconcoction of the flowers of daisies boiled down is an excellent wash to be used constantly.

For Water on the Brain- Cover the head well with wool then place oil skin over and the water will be drawn up out of the head.When the wool is quite saturated the brain will be free and the child cured.

For the Mumps-Wrap the child in a blanket,take it to the pigsty,rub the childs head to the back of a pig,and the mumps will leave it and pass from the child to the animal

For A stye on the Eyelid-Point a gooseberry thorn at it nine times saying "away away away!" and the stye will vanish presently and disappear

To Cure Warts:On meeting a funeral ,take some of the clay from under the feet of the men who bear the coffin and apply it to the wart, wishing strongly at the same time that it may disappear and so it will be.

To Extract a Thorn:The briar that spreads the thorn that grows the sharp spiked that pierced the brow of Christ give you power to draw this thorn from the flesh or let it perish inside in the name of the Trinity Amen

For the Red Rash-Who will heal me from the red,thirsty,shivering,cold disease that came from the foreigner and kills people with its poisonous pain? The prayer of Mary to her son,the prayer of Columbkill to God these will heal thee. Amen

How to Go Invisible- Get a raven's heart,split it open with a black hafted knife, make three cuts and place a black bean in each cut. Then plant it and when the beans sprout put one in your mouth and say- By virtue of satans heart,and by strength of my great art, I desire to be invisible, and so it will be as long as the bean is kept in the mouth.

For toothache-Carry in your pocket the two jaw bones of a haddock for ever since th miracle of the loaves and fishes these bones are an infallible remedy against toothache and the older they are the better as nearer the time of the miracle.

For the Great worm- I kill a hound,I kill a small hound.I kill a deceitful hound. I kill a worm,wherein there is terror,I kill all his wicked brood. Seven angels from the paradise will help me that I may drop valiantly and give no more time to the worm to live while I recite this prayer!Amen.

For the Mad Fever-Three stones must be charmed by the hands of a wise fairy doctor and cast by his hand saying as he does so-the first stone I cast is for the head in the mad fever ,the second stone I cast is for the heart in the mad fever, the third stone I cast is for the back in the mad fever. In the name of the trinity let peace come.Amen

To win Love-A charm of most desperate love, to be written with a raven's quill in the blood of th ring finger of the left hand: By the power that Christ brought from heaven,mayest thou love me,Woman!As the sun follows its course,mayest thou follow me. As light to the eye as bread to the hungry as joy to the heart may thy presence be with me O woman that I love, till death comes to part us asunder.

An Elixir of Potency-Two ounces off cochineal,one ounce of gentian root, two drachms of saffron,two drachms of snakeroot,two drachms of salt of wormwood and the rind of ten oranges.The whole to be steeped in a quart of brandy and kept for use.

For the Evil Eye- This is a charm Mary gave to St. Brigid and she wrote it own and laid it in the hair of her head without deceit-If a fairy or a man or a woman hath overlooked thee there are three greater in heaven who will cast all evil from the into the great and terrible sea.Pray to them and to the seven angels of God, and they will watch over thee.Amen

How To Have Money Always-Kill a black cock, and go to the meeting of three crossroads where a murder is buried. Throw the dead bird over your left shoulder then and there -after nightfall in the name of the devil holding a piece of money in your hand all the while. And ever after no matter what you spend you will always find the same piece of money undiminished in your pocket

Source:Lady Wilde (Speranza)Ancient Legends. Ticknor and Co,Boston,1887.