School: The Downs (roll number 8875)
- Location:
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: S. Molloy
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- XML School: The Downs
- XML Page 167
- XML “Local Cures”
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- Long ago people visited Holy Wells in order to obtain cures.
They also visited certain people who were supposed to possess healing powers.
The seventh son was looked upon as having a doctor's knowledge, and people who were afflicted with teeth aches went to him in order to obtain relief.
The simple cure for a toothache was a poultice of oatenmeal.
They would boil the water first, then stir in the meal until it is thick, then boil it and put it on a piece of brown paper and but it to their jaws.
If a person had a stye in their eye, the would prod it with nine times with a gooseberry thorn.
If there was warts on their hands, they would rub a snail on them five times and then hang the snail on a gooseberry tree, and look at the tree the fifth day(continues on next page)- Collector
- Teresa Maguire
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Joseph Maguire
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 68
- Address
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath