Hoflfman.] od4: [May 3, 



put into it i)iue pieces of burdock root and nine pieces of plantain root, 

 and alter dark bury the vessel under the eaves of the house. Take it up 

 next morning before daylight and drink." 



Bronchitis. 



Make a gimlet hole in the door frame at the exact height of the top of 

 the patient's head, into which insert a small tuft of his hair and close the 

 hole with a peg of wood, then cut off the projecting portion of the peg. 

 As the patient grows in height beyond the peg, so will the disease be out- 

 grown. 



This has recently been practiced in the case of young boys, but it is not 

 staled what would be the course adopted in the case of an adult, who had 

 attained his full height. 



Coughs ; Colds. 



A common remedy is to put brandy iato a saucer and set it on fire. 

 When it has burned several minutes extinguish the flame, by covering the 

 dish, and add sufficient white sugar to make a syrup. The dose is a tea- 

 spoonful, taken in intervals of an hour or two, as the case may require. 



Peter Kalm* refers to sassafras berries being used, by putting them into 

 rum or brandy, "of which a draught every morning " was taken. " The 

 bark being put into brandy, or boiled in any other liquor, is said not only 

 to ease pectoral diseases, but likewise to be of some service against all in- 

 ternal pains and heat ; and it Avas thought that a decoction of it could 

 stop the dysentery." 



The inner bark of the wild cherry tree (as well as the berries) is put 

 into a bottle of whisky or brandy and allowed to stand for a week or 

 more, when small doses of the mixture are taken for cougli. 



A stocking tied around the head has been used for a cold in the head, 

 and it is probable that this may be a modification of a remedy suggested 

 many years ago.f 



Cuts and Wounds. 



If cut with a sharp instrument, or tool, grease the cutting edge of the 

 instrument and lay it aside to hasten the cure and to prevent lockjaw. 

 This practice prevailed also in some parts of England, and Mr. Black:}: sug- 

 gests that the secret lay in the simplicity of non-interference with the 

 wound and treating the instiiunent instead. 



Wounds and bruises are bathed with a tincture of balsam-apple — BIo- 

 mordica balsamina — a bottle of which is generally kept on hand tor the 

 purpose. When the plant, or vine, has blossomed and the pod begins to 

 grow, a bottle is slipped over it so as to allow the fruit to grow to its full 



* Peter Kalm. Ea Eesa etil Norra Amerca, etc. Stockholm, 1753, i. 



t " Du musst es fiir gcwiss alle Abeiide thuu ; wann Du Deine Schuhe uiid Striimpfe 

 ausziehst, so I'ahre mit dum Finger diircli alle Ziihe uud rieche daran. Es wird gewiss 

 hell'en." From the third-named work Mittd tind Kiinsle above alluded to. 



J: Folk-medicine, etc. Lond., ISsS, p. 5o. 



