Hello Jim and all. I have just found this item below whilst going through a spam folder in my computer. Oh what marvellous little anecdotes you have provided in here, Jim! Thank you for them. I feel that I am learning a lot about the local culture, not only from the anecdotes themselves, but also from your own language usages etc. Marvellous! I am leaving Jim's message intact below, in case many others who have joined the list in the last 2 years might enjoy reading them too (without going to the archives to do so). Regards: Ray in oz ----- Original Message ----- From: "jj.carroll" <jj.carroll@comcast.net> Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 9:33 AM > In Sickness and Health > > > > Before 1948, when the free National Health Service was > introduced, medical help was only sought when absolutely necessary, mainly > because of the financial burden involved. There were also many sick people > who didn't want the neighbours to know they were sick enough to need a > doctor. People depended on local cures and the taking of herbs to survive > and only went to the doctor when death was imminent. Even today some > people have such good faith in 'the cure' that they are still reluctant to > accept medical help. > > > > I mind old Dr. Bradley coming from Fintona on a bike to my grandfather. > That was out Dromore Lower and it was a pound. He wasn't hard to pay, but > the pound was hard enough to come by. > > > > My brother died in 1923, when he was 21 years old, with a germ in the > blood, it's connected to consumption you know. He was in Omagh, Derry and > Belfast hospitals. They said it was bad teeth that poisoned the blood and > they told him if he had been smoking he wouldn't have taken pyorrhea of > the gum, as the smoke would have killed the germ. The smoke would keep the > blood from congealing. That was when I started to smoke and I smoked to > save my teeth for 60 years. > > Six years ago I was told, by my doctor, to stop smoking because of the > damage to my lungs! > > When my brother was ill, the doctor charged three guineas per visit and > the specialist's fees were five guineas. When he became ill we had six > cows and a couple of horses. When he was buried we jist had the wan cow. > > > > John C. got the 'Scarlet' and the major's wife used to come to the end of > the lane and shout at the top of her voice, "How's John today?" She was > scared to go any closer in case she got 'the scarlet.' > > > > Mickey B. had the 'flu and Kavanagh's cow broke out and went to Mickey > B.'s back garden. Packie came looking for her but wouldn't go into the wee > garden in case he got the flu. > > > > There was a very bad 'flu in 1918 and many people died from it. My mother > had it and Dr. Warnock, who was in Clogher that time, came to her. She had > eaten a raw onion the night before he came and he said, "That's what saved > your life." > > > > There was a cobbler lived up beside Bell's Cross and he had a daughter, > beautiful young girl. She took a pain in her stomach. The doctor came and > attended to here. He sent for the ambulance. I remember well the day it > came. It was Sunday morning and the ambulance was at the house when we > were going to mass. She died from burst appendix a few days later in Omagh > Hospital at the age of 17 years. > > > > When I was 18 or 19, my hands were all warts. Ah! Lord save us, my whole > hands were black. There was a fella used to ceili in our house and he > says, "You and me'll go for a run on Sunday." He took me to a well in > Aughantaine for three Sundays in succession. It was a Holy Well. I rubbed > the water on them and they disappeared. > > > > Leave a scarf outside on January 31st in honour of St. Brigid. It will > cure a sore throat. > > > > If you happen to be anaemic, or run down in any way, drop a raw egg into a > cup of tea, glass of milk or just a raw egg on its own. Let it slip down > your throat. > > > > For a bad cough or if you're inclined to be 'chesty.' Get that clove of > garlic. Eat it raw, cook it in soup, stew or use in salads. But get it > into the system. If you don't fancy the taste of it cut it in thin slices > and put them in the soles of you socks and it'll have the same > satisfactory results. Should you suffer from piles insert a clove of > garlic in the back passage. > > > > Wear red flannel to get rid of rheumatism. > Regards, > Jim Carroll