Old Wives Tales

1. Whooping Cough:

a)Take a caterpillar, wrap it in a small bag of muslin, and hang bag around the neck of the affected child. The caterpillar will die and the child will be cured.

b) Take the child on a train, open the window and get the child to hang its head out and the coughing will cease.

c) Pour a bowl of milk; invite a ferret to lap from the bowl. Get the child to drink the rest of the milk and all will be well.

2. To give birth to a boy: eat loads of bananas. [May be true – high potassium content is associated with having boys.]

3. Cramp: if troubled at night - put a cork under your pillow.

4. Rheumatism: to get rid of it - carry a walking stick made from elder which has exactly 5 or 7 knots.

5. Carrots: eating carrots improves your vision at night.

6. Toads: if you touch a toad then you will get warts.

7. Warts: to get rid of warts rub the infected spot with a cut potato and then bury the potato in the garden.

8. Dandelions: if you pick a dandelion then you will wet the bed.

9. You'll catch a cold if you go out with wet hair: Untrue since the cold is a virus.

(1. Whooping Cough:

a]Take a caterpillar, wrap it in a small bag of muslin, and hang bag around the neck of the affected child. The caterpillar will die and the child will be cured.

I misread that first time - thought the kids had kicked the bucket - phew

b] Take the child on a train, open the window and get the child to hang its head out and the coughing will cease.

but his pants will be full?

c] Pour a bowl of milk; invite a ferret to lap from the bowl. Get the child to drink the rest of the milk and all will be well.

if only I hadn't given up keeping ferrets last summer (mink sells for so much more you see)

2. To give birth to a boy: eat loads of bananas. [May be true – high potassium content is associated with having boys.]

no comment here - worked for my mum

3. Cramp: if troubled at night - put a cork under your pillow.

I've done this and it worked - I also drank the whole bottle of wine that the cork was attached too - slept like a baby

4. Rheumatism: to get rid of it - carry a walking stick made from elder which has exactly 5 or 7 knots.

too young to know - does anyone know?

5. Carrots: eating carrots improves your vision at night.

I love WWII stories. Rather than admit we had develpoed radar deliverate rumours were sent out saying RAF pilots were eating carrots to improve night vision - brilliant

6. Toads: if you touch a toad then you will get warts.

Happened to me

7. Warts: to get rid of warts rub the infected spot with a cut potato and then bury the potato in the garden.

I thought you had to kill the frog and rub it on you - oops

8. Dandelions: if you pick a dandelion then you will wet the bed.

Yes - no doubt about this. I was 25 years old at a grden party, we had loads to eat and drink. I picked one dandelion, nodded off and pished myself - they are weeds
9. You'll catch a cold if you go out with wet hair: Untrue since the cold is a virus.)q:wullie

depends which hair?

They gave the pilots in WWII billberry supplements I read, to help their night vision.
As a child I rubbed a cut potato on a wart & then threw it over my shoulder as u wouldn't get cured if u saw where it went.. it actually went away

I had a wart that went away once.

quickfind:singscott > "I've done this and it worked - I also drank the whole bottle of wine that the cork was attached too - slept like a baby"

Couldnt stop laughing!

I had a wart that went away once.

So did I, but I understand that she got remarried and still lives in the same county.

if you've got hiccups you must have been stealing the sugar

If you steal the sugar, you'll get worms

(Surely then hiccups is a sign of worms?)

Putting butter on a bruise will make it go away

Putting butter on a cat's paws when you move house will ensure it doesn't go away

If you pull a face and the wind changes, you'll stay that way

Sitting on a cold step gives you piles

No wonder I was a confused child :-)

quickfind:singscott > " Pour a bowl of milk; invite a ferret to lap from the bowl. Get the child to drink the rest of the milk and all will be well. "

erm what exactly is this for? is this a punishment? or is it to stop the child ever wanting to drink milk ever again? lol am worried now as we had ferrets as a kid......does this explain my strange urges to run into rabbit warrens? my nanna used to say if you rubbed a wart with a piece of meat and then bury it the wart will go away,side affects include..smelling like meat for days,and being chased by the neighbourhood dogs...

you'll have to go right back to Billy S for the official designation of treat or punishment.

I'd go for treat but not sure which party will enjoy it most - ferret or child?

Oh, and if you sit too close to the telly or read in bed with a torch, you'll lose your eyesight.

I only sat too close to the telly cos my eyesight was rubbish anyway :-)