Pipal Leaves and Traditional Cornish Cures

Today's post is a bit of a hotchpotch. For various reasons I hadn't been out and about with my camera - so no new pics for my blog post. So what to do? Then by chance I came across the leaves in the photo below, which I had squirreled away in my office for many years.

The leaves are pipal leaves, the posh name being ficus religiosa, also sometimes known as peepal or the sacred fig. They are usually found in the India subcontinent. It is said that Gautama Buddha attained enlightment when meditating underneath a pipal tree.

You may have read in a previous post about how I discovered that my grandfather was a Buddhist. For many years I have had this Buddha on our mantelpiece.

Another pipal leaf below, with some fancy stitching. The leaves are all about 20 years old. Back then I published worldwide penfriend magazines from home. Fancy that, people actually wrote letters! How the world has changed. At the time I often exchanged my magazines for other items from countries where they had difficulties sending money to England. This is how I received the leaves.

The following few photos, and the top pic, are simply photos of leaves I have snapped recently.

To complete todays post, here's a Cornish saying from the 1800's:

"Mortal are we and subject to diseases, we all must die even when and how God pleases! 

Into the world but one way we do come, a thousand ways from hence we are sent home."

Of course if we get diseases we need cures. Here are a few Cornish cures from days of old.

"A tooth from a dead man's mouth carried in the pocket is an infallible charm against toothache."

"The eighth Psalm read three times a day, three days running, cures the thrush."

"To keep away evil spirits from cattle, nail four horse-shoes in the form of a cross against the door."

"A church key applied to a wound stops bleeding."

"Bore a hole in a nutmeg and tie round your neck, and nibble nine mornings fasting, and boils will disappear in spring and autumn."

"Breathe over a newly made grave, and cure a cough."

"Take a spoonful of earth from a grave of a newly interred virgin, dissolve in water, and drink fasting, to cure 'decline."

"Toad's liver fried is good for rheumatism, so also are adders' tails; the adders must be killed whilst dew is on them."

"The sign of the cross drawn on wood, stone, or metal, and bound over a wound, stops bleeding in man or beast."

For toothache is this formula: "Upon a rock St. Peter stood, towards Jerusalem. And Peter prayed, 'Lord, forgive me my sins, and I shall be free. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.—Amen.' Say three times a day, three days running, and drink powdered brimstone water between whiles."

To cure heartache: "Sleep with key of church door around your neck."

"Water taken from church font is good for children with rickets, and will straighten bow-legged children, and children with 'wobbles.'"

"Black spiders dried and powdered cure heart-burn." 

"There are many other cures for heart-burn, and all of them nasty, so nasty that spider-powder sprinkled in water was dainty by comparison."

"Meteorolites and curious stones when ground to powder will cure men or beasts of all common diseases, and blue snake-stones are infallible in case of snake-bite."

"There were love philtres innumerable, and it appeared that a deserted maid had only to steal her lover's jacket, turn the sleeves inside out, bury it at midnight in a churchyard, and then, presto! the lover's heart would turn, and turn, as the jacket rotted in the ground, until he came back repentant to his ancient flame."

Have a good week, stay healthy ~ Mike