Spell Of Old Wives' Tales

[johndawsonjune1955]

<p>This is fantastic to talk about. However, what do you remember by ways of remedies in your younger days?

Heres a story, but believe me i don't recall it as i am not that old

Old wives tales and superstitious beliefs, particularly in the curative properties of animals, still exercise a world wide spell.

Macbeth's witches in their incarnation round the cauldron sang of :-

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder's fang and blind worms sting,

Lizards' leg and owlets' wing.

In Hull during June, 1936, a couple were sent to prison for neglecting two children. An inspector of the N.S.P.C.C., stated that the woman had told him that she had given the children, who were ill, mouse pie because she thought it was the best thing to cure them.

The belief in the curative properties of mice, which lingers in Yorkshire and other parts of England and Scotland is more than 6,000 years old. It was held by the ancient Egyptians, who gave mice as medicine to their children.

On research I found out that on Egyptian papri written about 1400 B.C., it described the eating of a skinned mouse as a remedy for an infantile ailment. There is positive evidence that the use of mice for children was many centuries older than this written record. In a pre-dynastic Egyptian cemetery, which at the lowest possible computation is over 6,000 years old, the remains of mice were discovered in the mummified bodies of children in circumstances which proved that the little animals had been skinned before they were eaten.

The belief still persists in some parts of Europe. There are unquestionably many persons living today who in their childhood, were given skinned mice as a remedy for infantile ailments, though probably in the majority of cases they did not know what they were eating.

In North-east Lancashire, fried mice was regarded as an infallible cure for whooping cough. Instances are recorded of the cough passing away after the taking of "mouse medicine†though whether due to the treatment, I would not like to say.

Edited January 18, 2012 by johndawsonjune1955

[Keith Scantlebury]

<p>This is fantastic to talk about. However, what do you remember by ways of remedies in your younger days?

Heres a story, but believe me i don't recall it as i am not that old

Old wives tales and superstitious beliefs, particularly in the curative properties of animals, still exercise a world wide spell.

Macbeth's witches in their incarnation round the cauldron sang of :-

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder's fang and blind worms sting,

Lizards' leg and owlets' wing.

In Hull during June, 1936, a couple were sent to prison for neglecting two children. An inspector of the N.S.P.C.C., stated that the woman had told him that she had given the children, who were ill, mouse pie because she thought it was the best thing to cure them.

The belief in the curative properties of mice, which lingers in Yorkshire and other parts of England and Scotland is more than 6,000 years old. It was held by the ancient Egyptians, who gave mice as medicine to their children.

On research I found out that on Egyptian papri written about 1400 B.C., it described the eating of a skinned mouse as a remedy for an infantile ailment. There is positive evidence that the use of mice for children was many centuries older than this written record. In a pre-dynastic Egyptian cemetery, which at the lowest possible computation is over 6,000 years old, the remains of mice were discovered in the mummified bodies of children in circumstances which proved that the little animals had been skinned before they were eaten.

The belief still persists in some parts of Europe. There are unquestionably many persons living today who in their childhood, were given skinned mice as a remedy for infantile ailments, though probably in the majority of cases they did not know what they were eating.

In North-east Lancashire, fried mice was regarded as an infallible cure for whooping cough. Instances are recorded of the cough passing away after the taking of "mouse medicine†though whether due to the treatment, I would not like to say.

We have it every day

[Canny lass]

Coughs and colds were treated in our house by placing a dish in the oven containing malt vinegar and 4 or 5 'black bullets'. Anybody remember them? When the sweets had melted the mixture was stirred and used as an inhalation under a thick bath towel. If you had a high temperature at the same time you were tucked up in bed with a shelf, from the coal oven, wrapped in a blanket so that you could 'sweat it out'. The medicine box in a colliery house was very sparsely equipped. Andrews Liver Salts, senna pods and Golden Eye Ointment seemed to be the main stay and these could apparently cure any medical complaint known to man!

Splinters, which couldn't be got at using a pair of tweezers, were removed by making a poultice of Fairy Household Soap, warmed and softened then, mixed with sugar. The poultice was left in place a couple of days and drew the splinter out.

Perhaps the strangest 'cure' I came across in Netherton was using coal dirt from the pit to strengthen your back. My father never washed his back. He shunned the pit baths when they opened because they had showers, which meant you couldn't avoid getting your back wet. He washed after work in a large enamel bowl on the floor in front of the fire. He often got us children to wash his back but always told us to 'not touch the black bit, just wash around it. This was a patch about a foot square. In the mid 50's my father was found lying on the ground half way between the pit head and home in an unconscious state. He'd collapsed on his way home due to a burst duodenal ulcer and become unconcious due to blood loss. He developed perotinitis as a result and spent several weeks in the RVI after an emergency operation. They saved his life. Was he grateful to these men and women of the medical profession? No - because they had washed his back while he was unconscious. He was not amused and he said his back was never the same again.

[Pete]

Coughs and colds were treated in our house by placing a dish in the oven containing malt vinegar and 4 or 5 'black bullets'. Anybody remember them? When the sweets had melted the mixture was stirred and used as an inhalation under a thick bath towel. If you had a high temperature at the same time you were tucked up in bed with a shelf, from the coal oven, wrapped in a blanket so that you could 'sweat it out'. The medicine box in a colliery house was very sparsely equipped. Andrews Liver Salts, senna pods and Golden Eye Ointment seemed to be the main stay and these could apparently cure any medical complaint known to man!

Splinters, which couldn't be got at using a pair of tweezers, were removed by making a poultice of Fairy Household Soap, warmed and softened then, mixed with sugar. The poultice was left in place a couple of days and drew the splinter out.

Perhaps the strangest 'cure' I came across in Netherton was using coal dirt from the pit to strengthen your back. My father never washed his back. He shunned the pit baths when they opened because they had showers, which meant you couldn't avoid getting your back wet. He washed after work in a large enamel bowl on the floor in front of the fire. He often got us children to wash his back but always told us to 'not touch the black bit, just wash around it. This was a patch about a foot square. In the mid 50's my father was found lying on the ground half way between the pit head and home in an unconscious state. He'd collapsed on his way home due to a burst duodenal ulcer and become unconcious due to blood loss. He developed perotinitis as a result and spent several weeks in the RVI after an emergency operation. They saved his life. Was he grateful to these men and women of the medical profession? No - because they had washed his back while he was unconscious. He was not amused and he said his back was never the same again.

A cure for a bad cough that was used in our house was to get two slices of turnip, place the first slice on a plate and cover it with sugar, place the second slice on top of the first slice and leave it in the pantry for twenty four hours then drink the juice. Not sure if it worked but it tasted nice.