School: Knockcommon (roll number 16549)

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1. Local Cures (continued)

   

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   cure the pain and it has never been known to have failed when people have the belief.
   Palsy: The cowslip in the olden times was named 'palsywort' because it was thought to be a cure for palsy, 'wort' being an old word for plant.
   Earache: To cure a pain in the ear the wool of a black sheep is got, soaked in olive or castor oil, then heated and put into the ear. This is known to have cured when all other remedies failed.
   Consumption: A remedy for consumption is believed to be in the plant called the mullen leaf. The leaves of this should be boiled and the juice afterwards drank. An old belief was to swallow a live frog as a remedy for same disease.
   Mumps: Mumps are cured by bringing the child who has the disease to the pigsty, and facing it towards the pig. It is then swayed to and fro, saying at the same time, 'leicne, leicne mumps leicne. A man in this neighbourhood is said to have the cure of the whitlow on the finger. There are special kinds of herbs growing about his house, these he gets grounds them up and makes them unto an ointment. This is then applied as a poultice to the

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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

   Rita Gallagher

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Knockcommon, Co. Meath