Folk Remedies

For 34 years Dr. Joseph L. Miller, 59, of small Thomas, W. Va. has been mending coal miners, delivering their women, treating their families. The hillbillies in turn have taught him their folk remedies, a list of which he read to a Medical Library Association meeting in Baltimore last week. Among remedies which Dr. Thomas found West Virginians using and which he thought big city folks doubtless use, were:

Asafetida suspended in a little sack from the neck to prevent acute infectious diseases like measles, diphtheria, whooping cough.

Necklaces of amber to prevent and cure goiter.

Coral or kernels of red corn to stop nose bleed or other hemorrhages.

Soot or cobwebs to stop a wound from bleeding.

A coin held under the upper lip and a cold key dropped down the back to stop a nosebleed. If those fail, let the blood drip on an ax or knife and bury it in the ground.

Horse chestnuts or pieces of potato carried in the pocket, brass or copper rings on the fingers, or copper plates in the shoes to prevent rheumatism.

Peony roots to prevent epilepsy and convulsions.

A greasy dishrag rubbed on a baby's face to stop convulsions.

Knee cap of a sheep worn as a garter to prevent leg muscle cramps.

Hair combings to be burned, to prevent a bird from finding them and building them into a nest. Otherwise the careless comber will suffer headaches until the fledglings leave the hair-woven nest.

Pierced ears to prevent weak eyes.

Straighten out an amputated "hand or foot and bury it comfortably in a roomy box to prevent its paining its erstwhile owner.

Put a baby's clothes over him feet first until he reaches 6 mo. to keep him from growing up stunted.

Bite a baby's nails until he reaches 1 yr. to keep him from growing up a thief.

Nutmegs, or castor beans, around the neck or in the pocket to prevent indigestion and colic.

A pan of water under the bed to prevent night sweats.

A belt made of rattlesnake skin to keep lumbago away.

Rub snake oil, skunk fat and fishing-worm oil into a joint to cure arthritis.

Wrap a red woolen sock still warm from the foot around the neck to cure a sore throat.

Wear red woolen underwear to cure rheumatism.

Back a child with bronchial asthma up against a tree and peg a lock of his hair into a hole bored in the tree trunk. Snip the lock from his head. When bark grows over the hair, the asthma will disappear.

Blood from a black cat or a black chicken to cure erysipelas and shingles.

Take nine sips of water, count nine backwards, turn around nine times, and your hiccoughs will be gone.

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