loo POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



to ward off rlieumatism ; having secreted somewhere about the 

 person the left hind foot of a graveyard rabbit for luck; or 

 placing within the purse the dried heart of a bat for success in 

 gambling ? 



Many mothers believe that amber beads possess signal proper- 

 ties in curing their children of sore eyes, ears, or throat; while 

 the flannel band to be worn about the neck to cure tonsilitis or an 

 inflamed throat must be red, as that color corresponds to the 

 color of the malady. In like manner the carrot is held in esteem 

 in the cure of jaundice, yellow being the characteristic color of 

 both. The carrot is suspended in the room occupied by the 

 sufferer, and as the root shrivels and dries up the affection is 

 removed. Warts, it is believed, may be removed by rubbing 

 upon them a piece of meat which is then buried ; as the meat 

 decays the warts go away. They may also be transferred to 

 another by rubbing upon th^m a piece of bone, and putting this 

 upon the spot where found ; whoever picks up the bone will have 

 the warts transferred to his own hands. 



We are all more or less uncomfortably impressed at hearing 

 unaccountable noises ; many persons dread going upon a journey 

 or cutting out a garment on Friday. Thus we perceive that the 

 mere reference to the trifles which are apt to control our actions 

 brings to our minds such a startling array of superstitions, ob- 

 served by us in others, or perhaps even entertained by ourselves, 

 that it becomes impracticable to continue further entering so 

 prolific a subject at this moment. 



I may say, in conclusion, that it is only by exposing such falla- 

 cies that we can hope for their extinction ; but this is no easy 

 matter, remembering the axiom that "there is no truth, how- 

 ever pure and sacre*d, upon which falsehood can not fasten and 

 ingraft itself therein.'' 



The birth of a child among the Bondei people of Africa is attended, 

 according to the account of the Rev. G. Dale, missionary, by many great 

 perils, for if a single condition regarded as unfavorable occurs, the infant 

 is strangled at once. Its life is in danger again at the time of teething, for 

 it may be so incautious as to let its upper teeth protrude first, and if this 

 is the case it is held unlucky, and will almost certainly be killed. Even 

 if it is allowed to live it will be in perpetual danger, and any disaster 

 that happens to its parents v,^ill be attributed to it. If, however, the under 

 teeth protrude first, the child's moral character is established. The boy can 

 not, however, enter the house in which the unmarried men sleep till he has 

 been publicly welcomed. For this ceremony all the boys and girls assem- 

 ble, and the father brings the child out to show them that the lower teeth 

 have protruded first. Then every house contribvites Indian corn, and the 

 children pound and eat it, after which the boy is regarded as one of them. 



