Magyar László szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 133-140. (Budapest, 1991-1992)

ADATTÁR - DOCUMENTATION - Gedainé Kölnéi Lívia: Az anyákkal és a kisgyermekekkel kapcsolatos rontások és gyógyítások a magyarországi boszorkány-periratok tükrében

The defenceless position of pregnant women against deseases always gave way for allegations, that when they became actually ill, it was someone who had cast a spell on them. There are different sorts of examples from cases that describe simpler symptoms to more extreme ones, which sometimes label almost appalled and even horrified mental and body pains of the patients. There are processes in which delactation is attributed to bewitching. This reflects the deep fear of the mother, since lack of milk easily ended with the death of the baby in those days. Another widely accepted fact was that the puerpera could attract the attention of diabolical, satanic creatures and people. The excruciating pains and the haunting of these women also appear often in the documents. Their contrasting, reverse desires and determined passions laid behind the induced abortions and the curing of infertility. Sometimes, in the latter, magical love stimulants were used. Probably, it was owing to the presumed defenceless of babies against evil forces that the inquiries of seduction occupy a strikingly big part in the documents. Sometimes parents could not produce any reliable explanation of the unpredictable illness of their child. In cases of falling into fire, trismus (lockjaw), limb deformation, or complete somatopsychic reduction they were led to suppose that it had been caused by transcendental powers. Almost each document mentions such instances. Similary to the causes, the cure was usually done by the assumed utilization of the same magic powers. Curing touch, spiting, blowing into the mouth, anointing, a bath in medical herbs, and also techniques for deceiving and distracting the malevolent powers were among the most frequently applied practices of folkmedicine. Three main components can be separated: (a) application of materials that have transcendental power (like medical herbs), (b) application of things that were made blessed or sacral (like consecrated herbs, sacraments, or eucharists), and (c) symbolical actions (like putting on reversed cloths). The documents of these trials typify a dual world, which is founded on the opposite influences of Good and Bad into human life; and where man's role stands in the fight against the spoiling, impairing factors. People tried to personalize and exteriorize these powers, therefore making their troubles and mischiefs comprehensible. Meanwhile they created their own defence techniques and popular beliefs.