Cures

There are a great many cures handed down to us by the old people. What the meaning of some of them are we do not know or how they effect a cure.
The seventh son or daughter was supposed to cure Ringworm by blowing on it two Mondays and two Thursdays. A child born after its father’s death could cure “Thrush” in a baby’s mouth by blowing into it.
1. Two cures for Whooping Cough were to boil a hedgehog and to give it to the person to drink.
2. To meet a man driving a white horse and ask him for a cure whatever cure the man would say to do it.
3. Flaggers sewn together and hung round the neck was a cure for mumps and a stocking filled with hot salt was a cure for a sore throat.
4. A cure for Vermin on animals was to rub into the skin the ashes of two Sunday fires.
Water taken from the Blessed Well in Athenry cures headaches and the one in Bell Clare cures toothaches.
Even now, there are people who have cures for certain diseases the doctors know nothing about.

Collector: Unknown

Informant: John Raftery, Corrofin, Co. Galway

Place: Ballinderry, Co. Galway

Footnote: Duchas, http://www.duchas.ie