'attribuer au
sixieme ou au huitieme, sur le nombre de trois, et sur celuy de neuf,
pour ne pas s'engager dans la superstition. Joint que de trois que je
connois de ces septieme garcons il y en a deux qui ne guerissent de
rien, et que le troisieme m'a avoue de bonne foy, qu'il avoit eu
autrefois la reputation de guerir de quantite des maux, quoique en
effet il n'ait jamais guery d'aucun. C'est pourquoy Monsieur du
Laurent a grande raison de rejetter ce pretendu pouvoir, et de la
mettre au rang des fables, en ce qui concerne la guerison des
ecrouelles."[124]

Charms were used to avert evil and counteract supposed malignant
influences of all kinds, but it is in their connection with diseases
of the body that we are chiefly interested. There is scarcely a
disease for which a charm has not been given, but it will be seen that
those which are most affected by charms are principally derangements
of the nervous system, or those periodical in character--diseases, in
fact, which have proved to be most easily influenced by suggestion.

Charms might be of the most varied composition. The material was
selected from the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdom, and might
consist of anything to which any magical property was considered to
belong. Rags, old clothes, pins, and needles were frequently employed
in this way. Sir Walter Scott had in his possession a pretended charm
taken from an old woman who was said to charm and injure her
neighbor's cattle. It consisted of feathers, parings of nails, hair,
and similar material, wrapped in a lump of clay.

The theory of _similia similibus curantur_ seems to have entered into
mediaeval medicine, and especially into the manufacture of charms. The
following prescriptions are examples: "The skin of a Raven's heel is
good against gout, but the right heel skin must be laid upon the right
foot if that be gouty, and the left upon the left.... If you would
have man become bold or impudent let him carry about with him the skin
or eyes of a Lion or Cock, and he will be fearless of his enemies,
nay, he will be very terrible unto them. If you would have him
talkative, give him tongues, and seek out those of water frogs and
ducks and such creatures notorious for their continuall noise
making."[125]

King also tells us that "Hartes fete, Does Fete, Bulles fete, or any
ruder beastes fete should ofte be eaten; the same confort the sinewes.
The elder these beastes be, the more they strengthen." It is
n