School: Baile an Mhuilinn, An Droichead Nua (roll number 16654)

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1. Folklore - Herbs (continued)

   

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   and it destroys, both rich and poor land; and if it gets plentiful it can never be cleaned off the land.
   It is said that most of the weeds have cures for certain diseases, but people don't know how to use them. Ointments are made from Marsh Mallows, and it cures sprains, burns, and sores on cows' udders. My father knew a man who sprained his leg, running after cows, and he rubbed this ointment to it, and it was cured within a few days.
   "The Pile Herb" is a cure for piles, their roots are boiled and drunk with milk, and the piles will go after one night. An old woman who lived in my locality was always suffering from piles, and no matter what cure the doctors gave her, it would be no good, and she could never sleep with pain; but she was soon cured, when she took the "pile herb".
   A plant grows in my district, and there is a liquid in the stalk of the leaf, and it is like iodine, and it cures cuts, and pains by being rubbed where the pain is. Its name is "Blessed Vervain. Flowerauns are plentiful, but not a harmful weed, and pigs, cows, asses etc love to get it to eat. Docks are used for feeding for pigs, when other foods are scarce. If cows are in a field where buttercups are growing, it is said if they eat them they will make the butter rich. Hemlock is very dangerous to cattle; but strange to say, it cures cattle that are suffering from a disease, called the Murrain, this weed is

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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

   Collector

   Nell Maguire

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Hawkfield, Co. Kildare

   Informant

   Joseph Maguire

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   47

   Address

   Hawkfield, Co. Kildare