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MAY, 1899.]
SUPERSTITIONS AND CUSTOMS IN SALSETTE.
a copper coin is thrown into it, which has the effect of reducing them. When a woman dies in child-birth, especially if the child be living, a piece of iron or a nail is thrust among the folds of her dress, evidently with the avowed object of preventing her spirit from coming back, for there is a belief that dead mothers haunt the house to carry away their children. An instance is given in which a mother, whose child was living, although she had died several months after confinement, used to enter her sleeping apartment and try to snatch away the infant from the arms of the nurse, often succeeding in dragging the child several paces from the bed. Knives are sometimes kept under the pillow to prevent spirits or harassing dreams. In cases of dog-bite, a copper coin with edible chunam is bound up on the wound as a cure. In cases of jaundice, the left arm is branded with a red-hot piece of iron, and castor oil applied over it, which helps to purge the wound thus caused of pus for a few days. At the time of confinement, if a woman labours very much, all locks of doors or drawers are opened with a key. This is said to facilitate delivery. A koitá, a kind of hatchet, is also waved, in cases of réns, over the body of the patient. So also a copper támbiá (lótá or pot), containing live coals, is waved in cases of réns and placed with mouth downwards in a copper thálá (pan, generally used for making hand bread). Thefts are believed to be detected by means of scissors and a sieve. A pair of scissors are held with points upwards, on which a sieve is made to balance flat. Then a person repeats one by one the names of those suspected of the offence; when the name of the thief is pronounced, the sieve gives one or two turns, and that establishes the real culprit. When a woman has had two or three miscarriages, gold beads are ground, with other medicines, and given her to drink at a subsequent pregnancy, which helps the growth of the foetus and a safe delivery.
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Urine. It is supposed that if a person, who is severely beaten, drinks his own urine, he gets over the effects immediately. A certain root, called abút, to obtain medicinal value, is buried for six months or so in a stable, in the ground over which a black cow passes urine. If little children are made to drink their own urine, they grow fierce. To cure sore-eyes, one must wash them with the first urine passed after waking in the morning. Making water on a cut is sure to stop bleeding.
Blood. A person's blood becomes corrupted through cares and anxiety and sadness, and the cure for it is bleeding. To get rid of asthma, one should drink the blood of a gor (ghôrpar or big lizard) and run about violently until quite fatigued. Consumption, in its first stage, is also believed to be cured by the same treatment. Women are bled in the fifth or seventh month of their pregnancy.. A slight crack in an earthen pot is joined by placing ashes over it and pouring in the blood of a fowl.
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Brooms. A broom is also used, among other articles, to cure a person affected with réns it is drawn over the prostrate body from the head leg-wards and struck upon the ground about seven times. If a broom is made to stand brush upwards, when two persons are quarrelling, it is supposed to aggravate matters. Some people think that on a wedding-day a house and the manday (pandal) must not be touched with a broom, that is, they must not be swept till the bridal party has returned from Church after the celebration of the marriage. This custom is observed with greater rigour in the house where there is a bride, for, say they, we sweep away the girl as we do dirt.
Canes. The cane is a good cure for rat-bites. A little paste is formed by rubbing a piece of cane in a small quantity of water, and the paste applied to the bite.
Circles. - After birth, a portion of the navel cord is left, and the end is tied to a black thread and put round the child's neck. Fevers are supposed to be cured by tying a thread round the arm. As the bandage grows tighter the fever abates, and as soon as the fever leaves off the circle slackens itself, and the patient is declared cured.
Coins. On the evening previous to the wedding day, the barber is called in to shave. All male guests, old or young, have a shave, or at least some touch of the barber's razor. The payment for this service is the guests wave a coin or coins, copper or silver, round the head of the bride or bride-groom, and throw them into a plate set there for the purpose; the head of the house gives two sers of rice, a cocoanut, and one ser (one bottle) of country liquor. In cases of dog-bite, a little chunam is applied to the wound, and a pie or pice placed upon it and tied there.
