Antall József – Buzinkay Géza szerk.: Népi gyógyítás Magyarországon / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 7-8. (Budapest, 1975)

Hoppál Mihály—Törő László: Népi gyógyítás Magyarországon (magyar és angol nyelven)

86 Comm. Hist. Art

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s Med. Suppl. 7—8. (1975) According to 19th century source, smoking of the room was practiced in Csallóköz (northwestern Hungary) at the time of a cholera epidemic.

3 In the northeastern Bakony mountain villages "the room of a person dying from an illness is smoked with the latter's berry".

4 In this case the influence of an earlier, magic practice can be identified in a different form and with a vaguer purpose. In many cases the plant used for fumigation has changed. In Zagyvarékas for example the patient suffering from St. Anthony's fire was smoked with red corn cob,

5 while at other times the juniper was used, but instead of smoking it, other methods were employed for the utilization of its alleged healing power. The author of Házi Különös Orvosságok (Special Domestic Medicines) recommends the following treatment for gangrene: "If it has affected only the area from foot to knee, cook fir seed in red wine and wash the affected area .. ,"

6 Similar treatment is recommended for the stroke by the 16th century book.

7 Magicnsuperstitious folk medicine also recommends the utilization of garlic. Zsigmond Szeñdreÿ writes: "Garlic is the most widespread plant used to counteract evil malady. It is placed underneath the house, the threshold, in bedding and cribs, word in pockets, hung on the doorknot the night before the funeral, stuck in the middle of the wheatfield, drawn across the front of the manger in springtime, hung above the manger at calving time, a clove is dropped in the first milked milk and placed in the laid out line." In the Kalotaszeg region (Transylvania) the night before Pentecost salt is spread on the threshold and it is rubbed with garlic against bewitching,

9 in Udvarhely (Transylvania) farm animals are protected with it.

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0 The examples cited above display an emphasis on magical influences. Following are some examples for its use against specific illnesses. Garlic is placed on boils in a heated form. A clove is often placed in the ear to ease toothache.

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1 In eastern Hungary (Tiszántúl),

1

2 Orosháza,

1® Szeghalom, Fenyőfő, Tiszacsege, Sümeg, and also in 16th century Transylvania it was used as treatment of ear ache.

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4 Other available data testify to its use as treatment of various boils and swellings. In Zagyvarékas it was placed on hardened chests, causing an abscess, 3 Márton 1892. 56—57. 4 Hegyi 1970. 448. 5 Cs. Pócs 1964. 196. (In this healing method the analogy of colours plays a part, too.) ¢ Juhász, 1768. 29. 7 Varjas 1943. 45. 8 Szeñdreÿ 1937/a. 158. 9 Wlislockiné, F. Dö rf er. 1892. 366. 1

0 Vajkai, 1937. A. 1

1 Vajkai 1937/b. 143. 1

2 Greszné 1944. 9. 1

3 Grÿñaeųs 1965. data Nr. 416 and 463:; Sós 1965, 590. 1

4 Varjas 1943. 86.