Whooping Cough Charm
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STORIES OF SATAN, GHOSTS, ETC.
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Welsh Folk-lore
Children suffering from whooping cough were taken to a seventh son, or
lacking a seventh son of sons only, to a fifth son of sons only, who made
a cake, and gave it to the sufferers to be eaten by them, and they would
recover. The visit was to be thrice repeated. Bread and butter were
sometimes substituted for the cake.
The writer has been told of instances of the success of this charm.
Another charm was--buy a penny roll, wrap it in calico, bury it in the
garden, take it up next day. The sufferer from whooping-cough is then to
eat the roll until it is consumed.