ferent bachelors, conveyed
by the hand of a bachelor to a silversmith who is a bachelor. None of
the persons who gave the sixpences, however, are to know for what
purpose, or to whom, they gave them.[110]

A silver ring contributed by twelve young women, and constantly worn
on one of the pattens fingers, has been successfully employed in the
cure of epilepsy after various medical means failed.[111] Lupton
says: "A piece of a child's navel-string borne in a ring is good
against the falling-sickness, the pains of the head, and the
collick."[112]

Alexander of Tralles recommended for epilepsy a metal cross tied to
the arm, or, in lieu of that, bits of sail-cloth from a shipwrecked
vessel might be tied to the right arm and worn for seven weeks; the
latter was a preventive as well as a cure. Among the ancients,
Serapion prescribed crocodile's dung and turtle's blood as a cure for
this disease.[113] Lemius remarks that "Coral, Piony, Misseltoe, drive
away the falling Sicknesse, either hung about the neck or drunk with
wine."

_Erysipelas._--The elder seems to have been efficacious in erysipelas
as well as in epilepsy, at least so we are told in the "Anatomie of
the Elder." The following is the method of preparing the amulet. It is
to be made of "Elder on which the sun never shined. If the piece
betwixt the two knots be hung about the patient's neck, it is much
commended. Some cut it in little pieces, and sew it in a knot in a
piece of a man's shirt, which seems superstitious."

_Evil-eye._--Coral was supposed to avert the baneful consequences of
the evil-eye, and Paracelsus recommends it to be worn about the necks
of children. Douce has given engravings of several Roman amulets
which were intended to be used against fascinations in general, but
more particularly against that of the evil-eye.[114]

_Eye Diseases._--Cotta relates, so says Pettigrew, "a merrie historie
of an approved famous spell for sore eyes. By many honest testimonies
it was a long time worne as a Jewell about many necks, written in
paper and enclosed in silke, never failing to do sovereigne good when
all other helpes were helplesse. No sight might dare to reade or open.
At length a curious mind, while the patient slept, by stealth ripped
open the mystical cover, and found the powerful characters Latin:
'Diabolus effodiat tibi oculos impleat foramina stercoribus.'"

Vivisection was practised to procure an amulet for sore eyes,
according to the followi