The Long Lost Friend

Introduction

There is a particular kind of book that does not merely sit on a shelf. It lives. It breathes. It accumulates the fingerprints of desperate hands, the smudges of candle smoke, the faint stains of dried herbs pressed between its pages by people who needed help and had nowhere else to turn. John George Hohman's extraordinary compendium of folk magic, healing remedies, charms, and protective traditions is precisely that kind of book — one that has been read not for pleasure alone, but for survival, for comfort, for the fierce and very human hope that the right words spoken at the right moment might change the course of fate.

First published in German in 1820 under the title Der Lange Verborgene Freund, and later translated into English as the work you now hold in your hands, this volume emerged from the Pennsylvania Dutch communities of early nineteenth-century America — those tight-knit, deeply religious, extraordinarily practical settlements of German-speaking immigrants who had carried their Old World knowledge across the Atlantic and planted it in the rocky soil of the New World. These were people who worked with their hands from before sunrise to after sunset, who could not afford doctors and often had no access to them even if they could, who lived close to the land and closer still to the mysteries that the land seemed to hold. For them, the boundary between the sacred and the practical was not a boundary at all. Prayer and medicine were the same gesture. Faith and herbalism spoke the same language. The unseen world was not a matter of abstract theology — it was a neighbor, a presence, something you could negotiate with if you knew the proper forms.

Hohman himself was a German immigrant who settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and who compiled this work not as an act of scholarly curiosity but as an act of genuine service to his community. He was not a wizard in the theatrical sense, not a figure of mystery or menace. He was, by all accounts, an ordinary man who believed extraordinarily deeply in the power of faith, in the accumulated wisdom of generations, and in the practical necessity of sharing what he knew. His preface to the original edition is disarmingly direct: he states plainly that he is publishing this book so that its contents will be available to everyone, that no one should be denied access to remedies and protections simply because they could not find a practitioner willing to share them. There is something almost radical in that impulse — a democratization of esoteric knowledge at a time when such knowledge was often hoarded, sold at great expense, or kept secret within family lines for generations.

The tradition from which this work springs is known as Pow-Wow, a term that has been somewhat misunderstood and misappropriated over the centuries. Derived from the Algonquian word for a spiritual leader or healer, it was adopted by Pennsylvania Dutch communities to describe their own syncretic system of folk magic and healing — a system that blended German folk medicine, Christian prayer, Kabbalistic symbolism, Rosicrucian influences, and practical herbalism into something entirely its own. Pow-Wow practitioners, sometimes called Brauchers or Hexenmeisters, were not feared figures lurking at the edges of society. They were often the most respected members of their communities — the people you went to when the doctor failed, when the livestock sickened without explanation, when the baby would not stop crying and no natural cause could be found, when the crops failed and the family's survival hung in the balance.

To read this book without understanding that context is to misread it entirely. These are not the spells of a fantasy novel, not the theatrical incantations of stage magicians, not the self-conscious rituals of modern occultists performing identity through carefully curated aesthetics. These are working documents. They are the written record of an oral tradition that stretched back centuries, preserved in ink because Hohman feared — rightly, as it turned out — that the knowledge would otherwise be lost as communities modernized, as German gave way to English, as folk healers were replaced by licensed physicians, as the intimate, face-to-face transmission of practical wisdom became harder to sustain in a rapidly changing world.

What strikes the modern reader almost immediately upon opening these pages is the complete absence of self-consciousness. Hohman does not defend his beliefs, does not argue for the validity of his methods, does not hedge his claims with the careful qualifications of someone afraid of being judged. He simply presents what he knows as what he knows. Here is a remedy for burns. Here is a charm against thieves. Here is a prayer to be spoken when a horse has been bewitched. Here is a method for stopping bleeding. The matter-of-fact tone is not naivety — it is confidence, the confidence of a tradition that has been tested by generations of practical use and found, by those who used it, to be genuinely effective.

Whether you approach this material as a believer, a skeptic, a historian, a folklorist, or simply a curious reader drawn to the strange and wonderful corners of human experience, you will find something here that demands your attention. The book is, among other things, a remarkable document of how ordinary people have always sought to exert some measure of control over a world that so often seems indifferent to their suffering. Every charm against illness, every protective hex sign, every prayer for safe travel or fair weather represents the same fundamental human impulse: the refusal to be helpless, the insistence that there must be something one can do, the deep and persistent belief that the universe is not entirely closed to human petition.

It is also, perhaps unexpectedly, a deeply moving document of faith. The Christianity that runs through virtually every page of this work is not the formal, institutional Christianity of cathedrals and councils. It is something rawer and more personal — a direct, unmediated relationship with divine power, a belief that God and the saints and the holy names are immediately present and immediately responsive, that the sacred is not locked away in churches but available here, now, in this field, in this barn, in this sickroom, to anyone who knows how to ask. For the Pennsylvania Dutch communities who used these remedies, there was no contradiction between Christian faith and folk magic. The power invoked in these charms was always understood to be divine power. The practitioner was not a magician working through their own will — they were a conduit, a vessel, someone who had learned the proper forms through which divine grace could flow into the world of human need.

This is why the book has survived. Not because it is sensational, not because it promises forbidden knowledge or secret power, but because it speaks to something genuine and enduring in human experience. People have always needed healing. People have always feared harm from unseen sources. People have always wanted to protect what they love. People have always hoped that the right words, spoken with sufficient faith, might make a difference. Hohman's compilation gave those hopes a form, gave them language, gave them the dignity of being written down and passed on rather than whispered and forgotten.

METHODS AND CURES.

A good cure for panic attacks, to be used three times.

Place the base of your thumb on the bare skin over the small bone at the top of your breastbone, and say the following words at the same time:

Matrix, patrix, put yourself right and be safe,

Or you or I will be in the grave on the third day. + + +

Another Cure for Panic Attacks and for Colds.

Do this every evening when you take off your shoes and socks: run your finger between all your toes and smell it. This will definitely cure you.

A sure cure to stop bleeding, which works no matter how far away the person is, as long as their first name is said correctly while using it:

Jesus Christ, most precious blood!

That stops the pain and stops the blood.

May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost help you, [first name]. Amen.

A cure to use when someone is wasting away, which has healed many people.

While completely sober and without having spoken to anyone, the person should catch rain in a pot before sunrise; boil an egg in the water; poke three small holes in the egg with a needle, and carry it to an anthill made by large ants; the person will feel better as soon as the egg is eaten.

Another cure to use when someone is sick, which has worked many times when doctors could not help.

The sick person, without talking to anyone, should put water in a bottle before sunrise, seal it tightly, and immediately put it in a box or chest, lock it, and plug the keyhole; the key must be carried in a pocket for three days, as no one else is allowed to have it except the person who put the bottle in the box.

A good cure for worms, for people as well as for cattle:

Mary, God’s Mother, traveled across the land,

Holding three worms in her hand;

One was white, the other was black, the third was red.

Repeat this three times, while stroking the person or animal with your hand; at the end of each time, strike the person or animal on the back, like this: strike once the first time, twice the second time, and three times the third time; then give the worms a set amount of time to die, but no less than three minutes.

A GOOD PROTECTION AGAINST GOSSIP OR LIES.

If people tell lies about you that cut you to the bone, throw those lies back on them. + + +

Take off your shirt, turn it inside out, and then run both your thumbs along your body, just under your ribs, starting from the center of your chest down to your thighs.

A GOOD CURE FOR COLIC.

I warn you, you colic demons! There is one who is judging, who says what is right or wrong. So be careful, you colic demons! + + +

A GOOD CURE FOR A FEVER.

Good morning, dear Thursday! Take away the 77 different fevers from [name]. Oh, you dear Lord Jesus Christ, take them away from him! + + +

Use this on Thursday for the first time, Friday for the second, and Saturday for the third, and say it three times each day. The prayer of faith must also be said each time, and you cannot speak a word to anyone until the sun has risen. For nine days, the sick person must not speak to anyone until after sunrise, eat pork, drink milk, or cross a running stream.

HOW TO MAKE A DOG LOYAL TO A PERSON, AS LONG AS NO OTHER METHOD HAS BEEN TRIED BEFORE.

Get a little of your blood and let the dog eat it with its food, and it will stay with you. Or, while you are eating, scrape the four corners of your table and keep eating with the same knife. Let the dog eat those scraps, and it will stay with you.

A VERY GOOD CURE FOR A RACING HEART AND FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STIFF.

Racing heart and stiffness, leave [name]'s ribs,

Since Christ, our Lord, spoke the truth.

A PROTECTION AGAINST INJURIES.

Anyone who carries the right eye of a wolf attached to the inside of their right sleeve will be protected from all injuries.

HOW TO MAKE A WAND FOR FINDING IRON, ORE, OR WATER.

On Christmas night, between 11 PM and midnight, break a young, one-year-old twig from any tree in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, while facing east. Whenever you use this wand to search for something, use it three times. The twig must be forked, and you must hold one end of the fork in each hand so the third, thickest part points up, but don't hold it too tightly. Strike the ground with the thickest end, and what you are looking for will appear right away if it is in the ground where you strike. The words to say when you use the wand this way are as follows:

Archangel Gabriel, I summon you in the name of God Almighty, tell me, is there any water here or not? Tell me! + + +

If you are looking for iron or ore, you have to say the same thing, but say the name of what you are looking for.

HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.

If you go to someone to ask for a favor, make sure to carry a little five-finger grass with you, and you will definitely get what you want.

A GUARANTEED WAY TO CATCH FISH.

Take rose seed, mustard seed, and the foot of a weasel, hang them in a net, and fish will definitely gather there.

A RELIABLE CURE FOR VARIOUS SORES, BOILS, AND OTHER SKIN PROBLEMS.

Take the root of an iron-weed and tie it around your neck; it cures oozing sores. It also helps with bladder blockages and cures hemorrhoids if the roots are boiled in water with honey and then drunk. It cleans and heals the lungs and gives you good breath. If this root is planted among grapevines or fruit trees, it helps them grow much better. Children who carry it learn easily; they enjoy learning useful skills and sciences, and grow up happy and cheerful.

A VERY GOOD CURE FOR GANGRENE AND SWELLING.

Sanctus Itorius res, call the rest. Here the mother of God came to help him, reaching out her snow-white hand against the hot and cold burn. + + +

Make three crosses with your thumb. Everything done by speaking words must be done three times, with a break of several hours in between, and the third time should be done the next day, unless the instructions say something different.

TO STOP PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HURT YOU FROM HARMING YOU — THIS IS VERY POWERFUL AGAINST THEM.

Dullix, ix, ux. Yes, you can’t get past Pontius;

Pontius is above Pilate. + + +

A VERY GOOD METHOD TO GET RID OF BOTS OR WORMS IN HORSES.

You must say the horse's name and say: “If you have any worms, I will catch you by the forehead. If they are white, brown, or red, they will all be dead now.” You must shake the horse's head three times and pass your hand over its back three times, back and forth. + + +

TO CURE POLL-EVIL IN HORSES IN TWO OR THREE TREATMENTS.

Break off three twigs from a cherry tree: one in the morning, one in the evening, and one at midnight. Cut three small pieces from the back of your shirt and wrap one around each twig. Then, clean the poll-evil sore with the twigs and leave them under the edge of the roof. The ends of the twigs that were in the wound must face north. After that, you must relieve yourself on them, meaning you must get them dirty. Then cover them up, leaving the rags around the twigs. After one or two days, prod the wound again with the three twigs and place them back where they were before.

A GOOD CURE FOR BAD WOUNDS AND BURNS.

The word of God, the milk of Jesus’ mother, and Christ’s blood are good for all wounds and burns. + + +

In all these cases, the safest method is to make three crosses with your hand or thumb over the injured areas; in other words, over all the things that have the three crosses symbol (+) next to them.

A VERY GOOD CURE FOR A SKIN RASH.

The rash and the dragon flew over a wagon.

The rash faded and the dragon slid away.

TO STOP PAIN OR STINGING IN A WOUND.

Cut three small twigs from a tree—each with a single cut. Rub one end of each twig in the wound, wrap them separately in white paper, and put them in a warm, dry place.

TO GET RID OF WARTS.

Roast chicken feet and rub the warts with them, then bury the feet under the edge of the roof.

TO GET RID OF WHOOPING COUGH.

Cut three small bunches of hair from the top of the head of a child who has never seen their father. Sew this hair into a piece of natural, undyed cloth and hang it around the neck of the child with whooping cough. The thread used for sewing must also be undyed.

ANOTHER CURE FOR WHOOPING COUGH THAT HAS WORKED FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED IT.

Pass the child with whooping cough through a blackberry bush three times, without saying a word. The bush must have formed an arch by rooting at both ends. The child must be passed through three times in the same way, meaning from the same side you started with.

A GOOD METHOD TO STOP BLEEDING.

This is the day the injury happened. Blood, you must stop, until the Virgin Mary gives birth to another son. Say these words three times.

A GOOD CURE FOR A TOOTHACHE.

Poke the sore tooth with a needle until it bleeds, then soak a thread with this blood; next, make a paste with vinegar and flour, spread it on a cloth, wrap the cloth around an apple tree root, and tie it on tightly with the bloody thread, after which you must cover the root completely with dirt.

HOW TO WALK AND STEP SAFELY EVERYWHERE.

Jesus walks with [name]. He is my head; I am his limb. Therefore, Jesus walks with [name]. + + +

A VERY GOOD CURE FOR COLIC.

Take a quarter cup of good rye whiskey and a pipe full of tobacco. Put the whiskey in a bottle, then smoke the tobacco and blow the smoke into the bottle, shake it well, and drink it. This has cured the author of this book and many other people. Or, take a white clay pipe that has turned black from smoking, crush it into a fine powder, and swallow it. This will work just as well.

TO GET RID OF FEVERS THAT CAUSE SEIZURES.

Write the following letters on a piece of white paper, sew it onto a piece of cloth, and hang it around your neck until the fever is gone:

A b a x a C a t a b a x

A b a x a C a t a b a x

A b a x a C a t a b a

A b a x a C a t a b

A b a x a C a t a

A b a x a C a t

A b a x a C a

A b a x a C

A b a x a

A b a x

A b a

A b

HOW TO GET RID OF A FEVER.

Write the following words on a piece of paper, wrap it in knot-grass (breiten Megrieb,), and then tie it to the body of the person who has the fever:

Potmat sineat,

Potmat sineat,

Potmat sineat.

A VERY GOOD OINTMENT.

I strongly doubt that any doctor in the United States can make a salve as good as this one. It heals serious swelling and cured the sore leg of a woman who had tried doctors' prescriptions for 18 years without success.

Take two quarts of cider, one pound of beeswax, one pound of sheep fat, and one pound of tobacco. Boil the tobacco in the cider until the liquid is very strong, then strain it. Add the other ingredients to the liquid and stir it over low heat until everything has melted.

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD EYE-WASH.

Take four cents' worth of white vitriol, four cents' worth of prepared calamus root, and four cents' worth of cloves, along with half a cup of good whiskey and half a cup of water. Grind the calamus root into a powder, mix everything together, and then use it after it has sat for a few hours.

A VERY GOOD REMEDY FOR WHITE SWELLING.

Take a quart of unslaked lime and pour two parts water on it. Stir it well and let it sit overnight. The scum that forms on the lime-water must be removed, and a pint of flaxseed oil poured in. After that, it must be stirred until it gets a little thick. Then, put it in a pot or pan and add a little lard and wax. Melt it all together well, make a plaster, and put it on the swollen areas — the plaster should be replaced every day, or at least every other day, until the swelling goes away.

A REMEDY FOR EPILEPSY, AS LONG AS THE PERSON HAS NEVER FALLEN INTO FIRE OR WATER.

Write backwards on a piece of paper: “IT IS ALL OVER!” Write this only once on the paper. Then, put it in a bright red cloth, wrap that in a piece of unbleached linen, and hang it around the person's neck on the first Friday of the new moon. The thread used to tie it must also be unbleached.

+ + +

A CURE FOR BURNS.

“Burn, I blow on you!” — You must blow on it three times in one breath, just like the sun on a fire. + + +

HOW TO STOP BLEEDING.

Count backwards from 50 down to 3. As soon as you get to 3, the bleeding will stop.

A WAY TO EASE PAIN.

Take the first bandage that was tied over a wound and put it in water with some copperas. But do not stir the copperas until you are sure the pain is gone.

A GOOD CURE FOR A TOOTHACHE.

In the morning before sunrise, secretly cut out a piece of sod from any spot. Breathe on it three times, and then put it back in the same place you took it from.

HOW TO GET RID OF BRUISES AND PAIN.

Bruise, you will not get hot;

Bruise, you will not sweat;

Bruise, you will not leak,

any more than the Virgin Mary will have

another son. + + +

AN INTERESTING SECTION FROM THE BOOK OF ALBERTUS MAGNUS.

It says: If you burn a large frog to ashes and mix the ashes with water, you will get an ointment. If you put this ointment on any place covered with hair, it will destroy the hair and keep it from growing back.

ANOTHER SECTION FROM THE BOOK OF ALBERTUS MAGNUS.

If you find the stone that a vulture has in its knees, which you can find by looking carefully, and put it in the food of two people who hate each other, it will make them make up and become good friends.

HOW TO CURE SEIZURES.

You must go onto another person’s land and repeat these words: “I go before another court — I tie up my 77 seizures.” Then, cut three small twigs from any tree on the land and tie a knot in each twig. This must be done secretly on a Friday morning before sunrise, during the waning moon. + + + Then, make the sign of the cross over the parts of your body where you feel the seizures. This can be done in all cases where it is needed.

A CURE FOR HEADACHES.

Calm down, flesh and bone, like Christ in Paradise; and this will help you, I tell you, [name], for the sake of your repentance. + + +

You must say this three times, for three minutes each time, and your headache will soon stop. But if your headache is caused by alcohol, or if it won't go away quickly for another reason, then you must repeat those words every minute. However, this is not usually necessary for a headache.

HOW TO FIX BROKEN GLASS.

Take plain cheese and wash it well. Mix it with unslaked lime and egg whites. Rub them all together well until they form a single paste, and then use it. If it's made correctly, it is sure to hold.

HOW TO MAKE CATTLE COME HOME.

Pull out three small tufts of hair: one from between the horns, one from the middle of the back, and one from near the tail. Then, mix the hair into your cattle's feed so they eat it.

ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE CATTLE COME HOME.

Take a handful of salt, go into your fields, and make your cattle walk three times around the same stump or stone, always keeping the same direction. In other words, you must end up at your starting point all three times. Then, let your cattle lick the salt from the stump or stone.

HOW TO PREVENT THE HESSIAN FLY FROM DAMAGING WHEAT.

Take crushed charcoal and make a liquid mixture with it. Soak the seed wheat in the mixture. Then, take it out, and for every bushel of wheat, sprinkle a quart of urine on it. Stir it well, then spread it out to dry.

HOW TO KEEP CHERRIES FROM RIPENING BEFORE MARTINMAS.

Graft the twigs onto a mulberry tree, and you will get what you want.

STINGING NETTLES — GOOD FOR GETTING RID OF FEARS AND STRANGE THOUGHTS, AND FOR MAKING FISH GATHER.

Whenever you hold this weed in your hand along with Millifolia, you are safe from all fears and strange thoughts that often trick people. If you mix it with a brew made from hemlock, rub your hands with it, and put the rest in water where there are fish, you will find that the fish gather around your hands. When you pull your hands out of the water, the fish will swim away, back to where they were before.

HELIOTROPE (SUNFLOWER) — A WAY TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SPEAKING BADLY ABOUT YOU.

The powers of this plant are amazing. It must be gathered in August, under the sign of Leo, and wrapped in a laurel leaf with a wolf's tooth. Whoever carries this with them will never be spoken to harshly by anyone; instead, everyone will speak to them kindly and peacefully. And if something has been stolen from you, put this under your head at night, and you will surely see the thief's full image. This has been proven to be true.

HOW TO HEAL A SORE MOUTH.

If you have scurvy, or quinsy too,

I breathe on you three times.

+ + +

A GOOD CURE FOR CONSUMPTION.

Consumption, I order you out of the bones and into the flesh, out of the flesh and onto the skin, out of the skin and into the wild forest.

+ + +

SWALLOW-WORT.

A way to overcome and end all fighting and anger. It can also make a sick person cry when they get better, or sing cheerfully when they are about to die. It is also a very good cure for dim or blurry eyes. This weed grows when swallows build their nests or eagles raise their young. If a person carries this with them, along with the heart of a mole, they will overcome all fighting and anger. If these things are put on a sick person's head, they will cry when their health returns, and sing cheerfully when they are about to die. When the swallow-wort blooms, the flowers must be crushed and boiled. Then, the water must be poured into another container, heated again, and carefully skimmed. Next, it must be strained through a cloth and saved. Anyone who has dim or blurry eyes can wash their eyes with it, and they will become clear and healthy.

A CURE FOR HOLLOW HORN IN COWS.

Drill a small hole in the hollow horn. Then, milk the same cow and squirt her milk into the horn. This is the best cure. Use a syringe to squirt the milk into the horn.

A VERY GOOD AND SURE WAY TO GET RID OF A BUMP IN THE EYE.

Take a dirty plate. If you don't have one, you can easily make one dirty. The person you are doing this charm for will feel much less pain in a few minutes. You must hold the side of the plate you eat from toward the eye. While you hold the plate in front of the eye, you must say:

Dirty plate, I press you,

Bump in the eye, go away.

+ + +

HOW TO MAKE CHICKENS LAY MORE EGGS.

Take rabbit droppings, crush them into a powder, and mix it with bran. Wet the mixture until it clumps together, and feed it to your chickens. They will then keep laying a lot of eggs.

WORDS TO SAY WHILE MAKING DIVINING RODS.

When making divining rods, they must be broken as instructed before. While breaking them and before using them, you must say the following words:

Divining rod, you must keep that power,

That God gave to you at the very first hour.

HOW TO GET RID OF A TAPEWORM.

Worm, I command you by the living God to leave this blood and this flesh, just as the Lord God will avoid a judge who rules unfairly, even though he could have ruled correctly. + + +

A GOOD CURE FOR BOTS IN HORSES.

Every time you use this, you must pet the horse downwards with your hand three times and walk it around three times with its head facing the sun, saying: “The Holy One says: Joseph walked across a field and found three small worms. One was black, another was brown, and the third was red. You will die and be dead.”

A WAY TO CURE A BURN.

Three holy men went out for a walk,

They blessed the heat and the burning;

They blessed it so it would not get worse;

They blessed it so it would quickly stop!

+ + +

HOW TO CURE A SNAKEBITE.

God created all things, and they were good;

Only you, serpent, are cursed,

May you and your sting be cursed.

+ + +

Zing, zing, zing!

PROTECTION FROM RABID DOGS.

Dog, hold your nose to the ground,

God has made me and you, hound!

+ + +

You must repeat this toward the dog. You must also make the sign of the cross three times toward the dog, and the words must be said before it sees you.

HOW TO EASE PAIN AND HEAL WOUNDS WITH THREE TWIGS.

With this twig and Christ’s dear blood,

I get rid of your pain and make you well!

+ + +

Pay close attention: in one cut, you must cut a young branch pointing toward the sunrise from a tree. Then, make three pieces from it, which you will put in the wound one after another. Holding them in your hand, take the one on your right side first. Everything instructed in this book must be done three times, even if the three crosses are not added. The words should always be said with a half-hour break in between, and a whole night should pass between the second and third time, unless it says otherwise. After the end of each of these three sticks has been put into the wound as instructed before, they must be put in a piece of white paper and placed somewhere warm and dry.

A CURE FOR FEVER, WORMS, AND COLIC.

Jerusalem, you Jewish city,

Where Christ our Lord was born,

You will turn into water and blood,

Because it is good for [name]'s fever, worms, and colic.

HOW TO CURE WEAK ARMS AND LEGS.

Take the buds of the birch tree, or the inner bark of the tree's root when the birch is budding. Make a tea from it and drink it sometimes during the day. However, after using it for two weeks, you must stop for a while before you use it again. During the two weeks you are using it, it is good to sometimes drink only water for a day instead of the tea.

ANOTHER CURE FOR WEAKNESS.

Take Bittany and St. John’s wort and put them in good old rye whiskey. Drinking some of this in the morning before eating anything else is very healthy and good. A tea made from white oak acorns is also very good for weak arms and legs.

HOW TO MAKE HORSES THAT WON'T EAT, EAT AGAIN — ESPECIALLY USEFUL WHEN THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHILE TRAVELING.

Open the jaws of the horse that won't eat and knock three times on the roof of its mouth. This will definitely make the horse eat again right away and cooperate willingly.

A GOOD WAY TO GET RID OF RATS AND MICE.

Every time you bring grain into your barn, you must say the following words as you put down the first three sheaves: “Rats and mice, I give these three sheaves to you, so that you will not destroy any of my wheat.” You must also say the name of the type of grain.

HOW TO CURE ANY GROWTH OR LUMP ON A HORSE.

Take any bone that you find by accident, because you are not allowed to look for one. Rub the horse's lump with it, always remembering that it must be done during the waning moon, and the lump will definitely disappear. However, the bone must be put back exactly where you found it.

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD EYEWASH.

Take one ounce of white vitriol and one ounce of sugar of lead. Dissolve them in rosemary oil and put the mixture in a quart bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with rose water. Wash your eyes with it morning and night.

HOW TO MAKE THIEVES STAND STILL, UNABLE TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD.

When using any instruction from this book for making others stand still, it is best to walk around and repeat the following words three times:

“Oh, Peter, oh Peter, borrow power from God. Whatever I tie up with my Christian hands will be tied up. All thieves, men and women, whether they are big or small, young or old, will be put under a spell by God's power. They won't be able to walk forward or backward until I see them with my own eyes and give them permission with my words, unless they count for me all the stones between heaven and earth, all the raindrops, and all the leaves and blades of grass in the world. I pray for this so my enemies will be sorry for what they've done.”

Say what you believe in and the Lord’s Prayer.

If the thieves are going to stay alive, the sun must not shine on them before they are released. There are two ways to release them, which will be explained here: The first is to tell them to leave, in the name of St. John; the other is to say this: “The words that have tied you up will set you free.”

HOW TO CURE SWEENEY IN HORSES.

Take a piece of old bacon and cut it into small pieces. Put them in a pan and cook them well. Add a handful of earthworms, half a cup of oats, and three spoonfuls of salt. Cook all of this until it turns black, and then strain it through a cloth. After that, add half a cup of soft soap, a quarter cup of rye whiskey, a quarter cup of vinegar, and one cup of rainwater to it. Mix it well, and rub it on the part of the horse with sweeney on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th day of the new moon. Then, warm the area with an oak board.

HOW TO MAKE MOLASSES.

Take pumpkins, boil them, press the juice out of them, and boil the juice until it has the right thickness. Nothing else is needed. The author of this book, John George Hohman, tasted this molasses and thought it was real molasses until the people in the house told him what it was made of.

HOW TO MAKE GOOD BEER.

Take a handful of hops, five or six gallons of water, about three tablespoons of ginger, and half a gallon of molasses. Strain the water, hops, and ginger into a tub that has the molasses in it.

A CURE FOR EPILEPSY.

Take a turtle dove, cut its throat, and let the person who has epilepsy drink the blood.

ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE CATTLE COME HOME.

Feed your cattle from a pot or kettle that you used to make your dinner, and they will always come back to your stable.

A VERY GOOD WAY TO CURE SORES.

Boil the bulbs (roots) of the white lily in cream, and put it on the sore like a paste. Southernwood has the same effect.

A GOOD WAY TO HEAL WOUNDS.

Take the bones of a calf and burn them until they turn to powder. Then, sprinkle the powder into the wound. The powder keeps the skin from rotting, so it is very important for healing the wound.

HOW TO MAKE AN OIL FROM PAPER THAT IS GOOD FOR SORE EYES.

A man from Germany told me that burning two sheets of white paper will make about three drops of oil or water, which would heal all sores in or around the eye if you rub it on them. Any eye problem can be cured this way, as long as the eyeball is not damaged.

HOW TO GET RID OF CRAB LICE.

Take capuchin powder, mix it with pig fat, and rub it on yourself. Or, you can boil cammock and wash the area where the lice are.

HOW TO KEEP THE WORST KIND OF PAPER FROM BLOTTING.

Dissolve alum in water and put it on the paper. When it's dry, I, Hohman, bet anyone can write on it.

A VERY GOOD REMEDY FOR KIDNEY STONES.

The author of this book, John George Hohman, used this cure and soon felt better. I knew a man who couldn't get better with any doctor's medicine. He then used the following cure: every morning, he ate seven peach pits before eating anything else, which helped him a lot. But since he had very bad kidney stones, he had to use it all the time. I, Hohman, have used it for several weeks. I still feel a little pain now and then, yet I used to have it so badly that I cried out loud every time I had to urinate. I am so thankful to God and the person who told me about this cure.

A GOOD CURE FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T CONTROL THEIR BLADDER.

Burn a pig's bladder into a powder and eat it.

HOW TO REMOVE A WEN WHEN THE MOON IS A CRESCENT.

Look over the wen, straight toward the moon, and say, “Whatever grows, grows; and whatever gets smaller, gets smaller.” You must say this three times in one breath.

HOW TO GET RID OF FIELD MICE AND MOLES.

Put unslaked lime in their holes, and they will go away.

HOW TO REMOVE A FILM FROM THE EYE.

Before sunrise on St. Bartholomew’s Day, you must dig up four or five dandelion roots, making sure to get the very ends of the roots. Then, you must get a rag and a piece of thread that have never touched water. The thread, which must not have any knots in it, is used to sew the roots into the rag. The whole thing is then hung in front of the eye until the film disappears. The tape used to tie it must also have never touched water,

FOR DEAFNESS, RINGING OR BUZZING IN THE EAR, AND FOR A TOOTHACHE.

Put a few drops of purified camphor oil on a cotton ball and place it on the aching tooth. This helps a lot. When put in the ear, it improves hearing and gets rid of the ringing and buzzing in it.

A GOOD WAY TO HELP CHILDREN TEETHE WITHOUT PAIN.

Boil a rabbit's brain and rub it on the children's gums, and their teeth will come in without causing them pain.

FOR VOMITING AND DIARRHEA.

Take ground cloves and eat them with bread soaked in red wine, and you will soon feel better. The cloves can be put on the bread.

HOW TO HEAL BURNS.

Crush or squeeze the juice from a male fern and put it on the burns, and they will heal very quickly. It's even better, though, if you spread the juice on a cloth and use it as a bandage.

A VERY GOOD CURE FOR WEAK ARMS AND LEGS, FOR CLEANING THE BLOOD, FOR STRENGTHENING THE 1001ND AND HEART, AND TO GET RID OF DIZZINESS, ETC.

Take two drops of clove oil in a tablespoon of white wine early in the morning, before eating anything else. This is also good for pains after childbirth and for colic. The clove oil you buy at the drugstore will work. These cures can also be used for a cold that affects your stomach and to stop vomiting. Putting a few drops of this oil on a cotton ball and placing it on an aching tooth eases the pain.

FOR DYSENTERY AND DIARRHEA.

Take moss from trees and boil it in red wine. Let people who have these illnesses drink it.

A CURE FOR A TOOTHACHE.

Hohman, the author of this book, has cured the worst toothaches more than 60 times with this remedy. Out of the 60 times he used it, it only failed to work once. Take blue vitriol and put a piece of it in the cavity, but not too much. Spit out the saliva that gathers in your mouth, and be careful not to swallow any. I don't know if it's good for teeth that don't have cavities, but I think it would cure any kind of toothache.

ADVICE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN.

Pregnant women must be very careful not to use any camphor. Also, no camphor should be given to women who have seizures after childbirth.

A CURE FOR A RABID DOG BITE.

A man named Mr. Valentine Kittering, from Dauphin County, told the Pennsylvania Senate about a cure that always works for the bite of any rabid animal. He says that his ancestors used it in Germany 250 years ago, and he had always found that it worked while living for 50 years in the United States. He only shared it to help people. This cure uses the weed called Chickweed. It is a summer plant, which Germans and Swiss people call Gauchneil, Rothea Meyer, or Rother Huehnerdarm. In England, it is called Red Pimpernel, and its botanical name is Angelica Phonicea. It must be picked in June when it is fully blooming, dried in the shade, and then ground into a powder. The amount for an adult is a small tablespoonful, or a drachm and a scruple in weight, taken all at once in beer or water. For children, the amount is the same, but it must be given in three separate doses. When giving it to animals, it must be used fresh, chopped up, and mixed with their food. For hogs, the powdered weed is made into little balls by mixing it with flour and water. It can also be put on bread and butter, or in honey, molasses, etc. The Reverend Henry Muhlenberg says that in Germany, 30 grains of this powder are given four times on the first day, then one dose a day for a whole week. At the same time, the wound is washed out with a tea made from the weed, and then the powder is sprinkled in it. Mr. Kittering says that he always only gave one dose, with great success. This is said to be the same cure that the late Dr. William Stoy used to cure so many people.

A VERY GOOD WAY TO MAKE SHEEP GROW MORE WOOL AND TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING SICK.

William Ellis, in his great book on the English way of raising sheep, tells this story: I know a farmer who had a flock of sheep that grew a lot of wool. He told me that he made a habit of washing his sheep with buttermilk right after shaving their wool, which was why they grew so much wool. This is because it's a known fact that buttermilk not only helps sheep's wool grow better, but also the hair of other animals. People who don't have buttermilk can use regular milk mixed with salt and water instead, which will work almost as well to wash the sheep right after they've had their wool shaved. And I promise that by using this method correctly, you will not only get a lot more wool, but the sheep lice and all their eggs will be killed. It also cures all kinds of scabs and itching and keeps them from catching a cold.

A PROVEN OINTMENT TO REMOVE DEAD TISSUE.

Take six chicken eggs and boil them in hot ashes until they are very hard. Then take the egg yolks and fry them in half a cup of pig fat until they are completely black. Then add a handful of rue, and after that, strain it through a cloth. When this is done, add half a cup of sweet oil to it. It works best when the ointment for a woman is made by a man, and the ointment for a man is made by a woman.

A GOOD CURE FOR POLL-EVIL IN HORSES.

Take white turpentine and rub it over the poll-evil with your hand. Then melt it with a hot iron so that it runs into the wound. After this, take neatsfoot oil or goose grease and rub it into the wound in the same way for three days in a row, starting on the last Friday of the last quarter of the moon.

FOR SCURVY AND A SORE THROAT.

Say the following, and it will certainly help you: Job was walking through the land, holding his staff in his hand, when the Lord God met him and said to him: Job, what are you so sad about? Job said: Oh God, why shouldn't I be sad? My throat and my mouth are rotting away. Then the Lord said to Job: In that valley over there is a well which will cure you [name], and your mouth, and your throat, in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This must be said three times in the morning and three times in the evening. At the part that says “which will cure,” you must blow three times into the child’s mouth.

A VERY GOOD OINTMENT.

Take wormwood, rue, medlars, ribwort plantain, and narrowleaf plantain in equal amounts. Add a larger amount of beeswax and animal fat, and some spirits of turpentine. Put it all together in a pot, boil it well, and then strain it. Now you have a very good ointment.

HOW TO STOP BLEEDING.

I walk through a green forest;

There I find three wells, cool and cold;

The first is called courage,

The second is called good,

And the third is called stop the blood.

+ + +

ANOTHER WAY TO STOP BLEEDING AND HEAL WOUNDS IN PEOPLE AND ANIMALS.

On Christ’s grave, three roses grow. The first is kind, the second is respected by leaders, and the third says: blood, you must stop, and wound, you must heal. Everything recommended for people in this book can also be used for animals.

FOR WINNING A LAWSUIT.

It says that if anyone has to settle a fair claim in a lawsuit, he should take some of the largest sage leaves, write the names of the 12 apostles on them, and put them in his shoes before entering the courthouse, and he will definitely win the case.

FOR SWOLLEN CATTLE.

To Desh harm no Flesh, but to Desh! While saying this, run your hand along the animal's back. + + +

NOTE. — Your hand must be placed on the bare skin whenever you use these magic words.

AN EASY WAY TO CATCH FISH.

In a clear glass container, you must put: 8 grains of civet (musk), and the same amount of castoreum; 2 ounces of eel fat, and 4 ounces of unsalted butter; then the container must be sealed tightly and put in a slightly warm place for 9 or 10 days, and then the mixture must be stirred well with a stick until it is completely mixed.

HOW TO USE IT.

1. When using hooks. — Worms or insects used for bait on the hooks must first be coated with this mixture, and then put in a small bag or box that you can carry in your pocket.

2. When using a net. — Small balls made from the soft part of fresh bread must be dipped in this mixture and then tied with thread to the inside of the net before you throw it into the water.

3. Catching fish by hand. — Spread this mixture on your legs or boots before going into the water where you expect to find fish, and they will gather in large numbers around you.

A VERY GOOD AND SAFE CURE FOR RHEUMATISM.

People have often paid 1 to 2 dollars for this recipe alone, because it is the best and most reliable cure for rheumatism. So, here it is: Take a piece of cloth, some tape, and thread, none of which can have ever touched water; the thread must not have a single knot in it, and the cloth and tape must have been spun by a child who is not more than 7 years old. The message below must be carefully sewn into the piece of cloth and tied around the neck with good intentions on the first Friday of a decreasing moon. Immediately after putting it around the neck, you must say the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed. The following words must be written on that message:

“May God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit grant it. Amen. Seek immediately, and seek; so commands the Lord your God, through the first man whom God loved on earth. Seek immediately, and seek; so commands the Lord your God, through Luke, the Evangelist, and through Paul, the Apostle. Seek immediately, and seek; so commands the Lord your God, through the 12 messengers. Seek immediately, and seek; so commands the Lord your God by the first man that God might be loved. Seek immediately, and shake; so commands the Lord your God, through the Holy Fathers, who have been made by divine and holy scripture. Seek immediately, and shake; so commands the Lord your God, through the dear and holy angels, and through his fatherly and divine All-powerfulness, and his heavenly confidence and endurance. Seek immediately, and shake; so commands the Lord your God, through the burning oven which was saved by the blessing of God. Seek immediately, and shake; so commands the Lord your God, through all power and might, through the prophet Jonah who was saved in the belly of the whale for 3 days and 3 nights, by the blessing of God. Seek immediately, and shake; so commands the Lord your God, through all the power and might that comes from divine humility, and for all-eternity; so that no harm is done to + N + or to any part of his body, whether they are the raging convulsions, or the yellow convulsions, or the white convulsions, or the red convulsions, or the black convulsions, or whatever convulsions may be called; these all shall do no harm to you + N + nor to any part of your body, nor to your head, nor to your neck, nor to your heart, nor to your stomach, nor to any of your veins, nor to your arms, nor to your legs, nor to your eyes, nor to your tongue, nor to any part of your body. I write this for you + N + in these words, and in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. God bless it. Amen.”

Note. — If anyone writes a letter like this for someone else, the person's first name must be included in it; as you can see, where the letter N stands by itself in the message above, the name should be written there.

A GOOD WAY TO GET RID OF WORMS IN BEEHIVES.

With very little trouble and for only 25 cents, you can definitely get rid of the worms in your beehives for a whole year. Get a powder called Pensses Blum from a pharmacy, which will not harm the bees at all. Here is how to use it: For one beehive, take enough powder to fit on the tip of a knife, mix it with 1 ounce of good whiskey, and put it in a small bottle. Then make a hole in the beehive and pour the whiskey mixture in, which is enough for one hive. Make the hole so that it can be poured in easily. As mentioned before, 25 cents' worth of this powder is enough for one hive.

HOW TO MAKE A PASTE TO KEEP GUN BARRELS FROM RUSTING, WHETHER THEY ARE IRON OR STEEL.

Take 1 ounce of bear fat, half an ounce of badger grease, half an ounce of snake fat, 1 ounce of almond oil, and a quarter of an ounce of powdered indigo, and melt it all together in a new pot over a fire, stir it well, and then put it into a container. To use it, a piece about the size of a regular nut must be put on a piece of wool cloth and then rubbed on the barrel and lock of the gun, and it will keep the barrel from rusting.

HOW TO MAKE A WICK THAT NEVER BURNS UP.

Take 1 ounce of asbestos and boil it in 1 quart of strong lye for 2 hours; then pour off the lye and clean what is left by pouring rainwater on it 3 or 4 times, after that you can make a wick out of it which will never be burned up by the fire.

A MORNING PRAYER TO SAY BEFORE STARTING A TRIP, WHICH WILL PROTECT THE PERSON FROM ALL ACCIDENTS.

I (say your name here) will go on a journey today; I will walk on God’s path, and walk where God himself walked, and our dear Lord Jesus Christ, and our dearest Virgin with her dear little baby, with her 7 rings and her true things. Oh, you, my dear Lord Jesus Christ, I belong to you, so that no dog can bite me, no wolf can bite me, and no murderer can sneak up on me; save me, O my God, from sudden death! I am in God’s hands, and there I will commit myself. I am in God’s hands by our Lord Jesus’ 5 wounds, so that no gun or other weapon can harm me any more than the virginity of our Holy Virgin Mary was harmed by the grace of her beloved Jesus. After this, say 3 Lord's Prayers, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed.

A SAFE AND PROVEN METHOD TO USE FOR FIRES AND PLAGUES.

Welcome, you fiery demon! Do not spread any further than you already have. I consider this a command for you to repent, in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I command you, fire, by the power of God, who creates and makes everything, to stop now and not spread any further, just as surely as Christ was standing on the stormy banks of the Jordan, being baptized by John the holy man.

I consider this a command for you to repent in the name of the holy Trinity.

I command you, fire, by the power of God, to reduce your flames now; just as surely as Mary kept her virginity above all ladies who kept theirs, so chaste and pure; therefore, fire, stop your anger.

I consider this a command for you to repent in the name of the holy Trinity.

I command you, fire, to lessen your heat, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which he has shed for us, and for our sins and wrongdoings.

I consider this a command for you, fire, to repent, in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus of Nazareth, a king of the Jews, save us from this dangerous fire, and protect this land and its borders from all widespread disease and plague.

NOTES. — This was discovered by a Christian Gypsy King of Egypt. In the year 1740, on June 10th, 6 gypsies were executed on the gallows in the kingdom of Prussia. The 7th member of their group was a man 80 years old and was going to be executed by the sword on the 16th of the same month. But luckily for him, a large fire broke out unexpectedly, and the old Gypsy was taken to the fire to try his skills, which he did successfully to the great surprise of everyone there, by speaking to the fire in a way that it completely stopped and disappeared in less than 10 minutes. Because of this, since the proof was given during the day, he received a pardon and was set free. This was confirmed by the government of the King of Prussia, and the General Superintendent at Koenigsberg, and was published for the public. It was first published at Koenigsberg in Prussia, by Alexander Bausman, in the year 1745.

Whoever has this message in their house will be safe from all danger of fire, as well as from lightning. If a pregnant woman carries this message with her, neither spells nor evil spirits can harm her or her child. Also, if anyone has this message in their house, or carries it with them, they will be safe from the harm of any plague.

While saying these sentences, you must walk around the fire 3 times. This has worked every time.

TO PREVENT LARGE FIRES.

Take a black chicken, in the morning or evening, cut its head off and throw it on the ground; cut its stomach out, but leave it all in one piece. Then, try to get a piece of a shirt that was worn by a virgin during her period, and cut out a piece as large as a regular dish from the bloodiest part. Wrap these two things up together, then try to get an egg that was laid on Maundy Thursday. Put these three things together in wax; then put them in a pot that holds 8 quarts, and bury it under the threshold of your house, with God's help, and as long as any part of your house is still standing, no large fire will happen. If your house should happen to be on fire already in the front and back, the fire will still not harm you or your children. This is done by the power of God, and is completely certain and will not fail. If a fire should break out unexpectedly, then try to get a whole shirt in which your female servant had her period or a sheet on which a child was born, and throw it into the fire, wrapped up in a bundle, and without saying anything. This will definitely stop it.

TO PREVENT WITCHES FROM CASTING SPELLS ON CATTLE, TO BE WRITTEN AND PLACED IN THE STABLE; AND AGAINST EVIL PEOPLE AND EVIL SPIRITS THAT TORMENT OLD AND YOUNG PEOPLE AT NIGHT, TO BE WRITTEN AND PLACED ON THE BED FRAME.

“Trotter Head, I forbid you from my house and property; I forbid you from my horse and cow stable; I forbid you from my bed frame, so that you may not breathe on me. Breathe into some other house, until you have climbed every hill, until you have counted every fence post, and until you have crossed every body of water. And so the dear day may come again into my house, in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

This will definitely protect and free all people and animals from witchcraft.

HOW TO PUT OUT A FIRE WITHOUT WATER.

Write the following words on each side of a plate, and throw it into the fire, and it will be put out immediately:

S A T O R

A R E P O

T E N E T

O P E R A

R O T A S

TO PREVENT EVIL PEOPLE FROM GETTING NEAR THE CATTLE.

Take wormwood, gith, five-finger weed, and asafoetida; 3 cents' worth of each; the straw from horse beans, some dirt swept up from behind the stable door, and a little salt. Tie all of these together with a tape, and put the bundle in a hole near the threshold where your cattle walk in and out, and cover it well with lignum-vitae wood. This will definitely work.

ANOTHER WAY TO STOP A FIRE.

Our dear Sarah traveled through the land, holding a burning hot brand in her hand. The fiery brand gets hot; the fiery brand sweats. Fiery brand, stop your heat; fiery brand, stop your sweat.

HOW TO BIND OR PUT A SPELL ON ANYTHING.

You say, Christ’s cross and Christ’s crown, Christ Jesus’ colored blood, be good every hour. God, the Father, is in front of me; God, the Son, is beside me; God, the Holy Spirit, is behind me. Anyone who is stronger than these three may come, by day or night, to attack me.” + + +

Then say the Lord’s Prayer three times.

ANOTHER WAY TO BIND OR PUT A SPELL ON SOMETHING.

After repeating the above, you say, “At every step may Jesus walk with (name). He is my head; I am part of him; therefore, Jesus, be with (name).

A BLESSING TO PREVENT FIRE.

“The bitter sorrows and the death of our dear Lord Jesus Christ will win. Fire and wind and great heat and all that is within the power of these elements, I command you, through the Lord Jesus Christ, who has spoken to the winds and the waters, and they obeyed him. By these powerful words spoken by Jesus, I command, threaten, and tell you, fire, flame, and heat, and your powers as elements, to leave immediately. The holy, rosy blood of our dear Lord Jesus Christ will control it. You, fire, and wind, and great heat, I command you, as the Lord did, by his holy angels, command the great heat in the fiery oven to leave those three holy men, Shadrach and his companions, Meshach and Abednego, untouched, which was done. So you will lessen, you fire, flame, and great heat, as the Almighty God spoke when creating the four elements, together with heaven and earth; Fiat! Fiat! Fiat! that is: It will happen in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

HOW TO HELP PEOPLE OR ANIMALS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN BEWITCHED.