s Magazine_, 1794, p. 889.

[111] _London Medical and Physical Journal_, 1815.

[112] _Book of Notable Things_, p. 92.

[113] E. Berdoe, _Origin and Growth of the Healing Art_,
pp. 253 f and 256.

[114] _Illustrations of Shakespeare_, I, p. 493.

[115] E. A. King, "Medieval Medicine," _Nineteenth
Century_, XXXIV, p. 147.

[116] R. Burton, _Anatomy of Melancholy_, pt. II, sec.
V.

[117] T. J. Pettigrew, _Superstitions Connected with ...
Surgery and Medicine_, p. 91.

[118] _Ibid._, p. 79.

[119] J. Brand, _Popular Antiquities_, III, p. 256.

[120] _Ibid._, III, p. 238.

[121] E. A. King, "Medieval Medicine," _Nineteenth
Century_, XXXIV, p. 148.

CHAPTER VIII

CHARMS

"With the charmes that she saide, A fire down fro' the
sky alight."--GOWER.

"She drew a splinter from the wound, And with a charm
she staunch'd the blood."--SCOTT.

"Thrice on my breast I spit to guard me safe From
fascinating Charms."--THEOCRITUS.

"Mennes fortunes she can tell; She can by sayenge her
Ave Marye, And by other Charmes of Sorcerye, Ease men of
the Toth ake by and bye Yea, and fatche the Devyll from
Hell."--BALE.

"I clawed her by the backe in way of a charme, To do me
not the more good, but the less harme."--HEYWOOD.

Charms, as already noticed, are not unlike amulets in significance and
similarity of power. The amulet must consist of some material
substance so as to be suspended when employed, but the charm may be a
word, gesture, look, or condition, as well as a material substance,
and does not need to be attached to the body. The word "charm" is
derived from the Latin word "carmen," signifying a verse in which the
charms were sometimes written, examples of which will be given later.
The medical term "carminative," a comforting medicine, really means a
charm medicine, and has the same derivation.

A charm has been defined as "a form of words or letters, repeated or
written, whereby strange things are pretended to be done, beyond the
ordinary power of nature." It can be seen, though, that this
definition is not sufficiently comprehensive.

For ages, people have had great faith in odd numbers. They have often
been used as charms and for medicine. Some one says: "Some
philosophers are of opinion that all things are composed of number,
prefer the odd before the other, and attribute to it a great efficacy
and perfection, especially in matters of physi