Folk-medicine / by William George Black.

  • Black, William George, 1857-1932.
Date:
[1878?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Folk-medicine / by William George Black. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    FOLK-MEDICINE. BY WrLLIAM GEORGE BLACK-, ESQ. ^ ■ Since Mr. W. J. Thorns gave the word folk-lore to our language, the study of the home-learning of the people has grown with much rapidity, owing probably to the fact that it is found to afford the best insight obtainable into the character of a nation, without considerable knowledge of which the pages of history are difficult to read. As it is mentioned in the statement of the aims of this Association, that its objects are to investigate, preserve, and illustrate, not only those subjects which are supposed more especially to fall under the name archaeological, but also the man- ners and customs of our forefathers, I am encouraofed to bring before your notice a special branch of folk-lore which has, I think, hardly received the attention due to it. The term above, folk-medicine, is one for which I confess my- self responsible, having first (so far as I am aware) used it while writing some articles in a provincial newspaper. It is meant to comprehend the subjects of charms, incantations, and those habits relating to the preservation of health, or the cure of disease, which were and are practised by the more superstitious and old-fashioned. Disease was early, it is probable, attributed to the malice of a spirit somehow offended. The Bornean Dyacks say to be smitten by a spirit is to be ill ; and in Sameo, when a man dies, they say a spirit has eaten him. Mr. Tylor, in his Primitive Culture, mentions that in New Zealand each ailment is said to be caused by the spirit of an infant, or undeveloped human spirit entering the body of a man, and feeding inside. Other nations accuse the ghosts of the dead of being the plagues of the living, and are consequently anxious to be on good terms with the dying, and after death to do the spirits all proper worship. When a spirit was believed to have taken possession of a man, it was sought to be driven forth by prayers and promises and threats ; but with the progress of culture this idea became incredible to long-headed inquirers. Could not disease, it was asked (we may suppose), be got rid of more thoroughly by trans- ference f If a man ill of some contagious sickness could, 42