Nine hairs from the tail of a black cat, chopped up and soaked in water,
which is then swallowed, and the cough will be relieved.
"One day when out, snipe shooting," a gentleman writes, "I saw a horrid-
looking insect staring up at me. I called to a man close by, and asked him
the name of it. He told me it was called the Thordall, and was reckoned a
great cure for the chin-cough; for if any one got it safe in a bottle and kept it
prisoner till it, died, the disease would go away from the patient. It was just
the time to try the cure, for my child was laid up with the epidemic. So I
bottled my friend and daily examined the state of his health. It lasted for a
fortnight, and at the end of that time the child had quite recovered, and the
horrible-looking insect creature lay dead."
FOR RHEUMATISM
The operator makes passes, like the mesmerist, over the member affected
by the rheumatic pain, never touching the part, but moving his hand slowly
over it at some distance, while he mutters a form of words in a low voice.
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.
FOR A STITCH IN THE SIDE
Rub the part affected with unsalted butter, and make time sign of the
cross seven times over the place.
FOR WEAK EYES
A decoction of the flowers of daisies boiled down is an excellent wash, to
be used constantly.