Sacred Texts  Americana 


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Pow-Wows

By John George Hoffman

[1820]


Written by a Pennsylvania Dutch healer in the 1820s, this book is a rambling collection of rural home remedies and folk invocations. Pow-wow is a unique creole of Christian theology and a shamanistic belief system. It is still practiced in some rural areas of Pennsylvania. In spite of the name, it is not of Native American derivation. It is believed to have been brought over to America by German immigrants who practiced folk-magic.

This little book includes healing spells, binding spells, protective spells, talismans, wards and benedictions. As for the home remedies, we don't recommend you try any of them (e.g., if you have scurvy we suggest that you get some limes. And if your livestock are sick, please have a veterinarian look at them.) The text is also of historical interest, as it paints a vivid picture of the miseries of rural American life in the early nineteenth century. The original is very rare.


Title Page
Preface
Testimonials

Arts and Remedies

Hysterics
Hysterics and Colds
Bleeding
Falling Away
When Anyone Is Sick
Worms In Men And Cattle
Slander
Colic
Fever
To Attach A Dog To A Person
Palpitation Of The Heart, And Hide-Bound Persons
Injuries
A Wand For Searching For Iron, Ore Or Water
How To Obtain Things Which Are Desired
Catching Fish
Various Ulcers and Boils
Mortification And Inflammation
To Prevent Wicked Or Malicious Persons From Doing You An Injury
Bots Or Worms In Horses
The Poll-Evil In Horses
Bad Wounds And Burns
Wild-Fire
Pains
Warts
Whooping Cough
Bleeding
Toothache
Walk Securely
Colic
Convulsive Fevers
The Fever
Plaster
Eye-Water
The White Swelling
Epilepsy
Burns
Bleeding
Pain
Toothache
Bruises And Pains
From Albertus Magnus
Fits Or Convulsions
Headache
Broken Glass
Make Cattle Return Home
To Prevent The Hessian Fly From Injuring The Wheat
To Prevent Cherries From Ripening Before Martinmas
Stinging Nettles
Sun-Flower
Sore Mouth
Consumption
Swallow-Wort
Hollow Horn In Cows
Wheal In The Eye
To Make Chickens Lay
Divinatory Wands
Tape-Worm
Bots In Horses
Burn
Snake-bite
Mad Dogs
Remove Pain and Heal Wounds
Fever, Worms, And Colic
Weakness Of Limbs
To Make Horses Eat
Rats and Mice
Wen on Horse
Eye-water
Immobilizing Thieves
Sweeney In Horses
Molasses
Beer
Epilepsy
Make Cattle Return Home
Sores
Wounds
Sore Eyes
Lice
Paper Blotting
The Gravel
Incontinence
Remove Wen
Field-Mice And Moles
Eye Scum
Deafness and Toothache
Painful Teething
Vomiting And Diarrhœa
Burns
Oil of Cloves a Panacea
Dysentery And Diarrhœa
Toothache
Advice To Pregnant Women
Mad Dog Bite
To Increase The Growth Of Wool
Mortification
The Poll-Evil In Horses
Scurvy And Sore Throat
Plaster
Bleeding
Bleeding
Lawsuits
Swelling of Cattle
Fishing
Rheumatism
Worms In Bee-Hives
To Prevent Gun-Barrels From Rusting
A Wick Which Is Never Consumed
Prayer before Journey
Fire and Pestilence
Conflagration
Against Malign Witchcraft
Extinguish Fire
To Prevent Bad People From Getting About The Cattle
Stopping Fire
To Fasten Or Spell-Bind
Prevent Fire
After Being Bewitched
Against Sickness And Theft
Against Mishaps And Dangers
Gypsy Protection Sentence
Against Evil Spirits and Witchcraft
Swellings
To Treat A Cow After Milk Is Taken
Against Adversaries
Against Danger and Death
A Sick Cow
Fever
Immobilizing a Thief
Immobilizing a Thief (3)
Releasing Spell-Bound Persons
To Compel A Thief To Return Stolen Goods
A Benediction For All Purposes
To Win Every Game
Burns
Warding Cattle from Witchcraft
Binding Wounds
Relieving Painful Wounds
Worms
Against Every Evil Influence
Legal Success
To Stop Bleeding
Preventing Attack by Man or Animal
House Protection
Charms
To Be At All Times Blessed
More Charms
To Recover Stolen Goods
A Well-Tried Charm
Spring-tails or Ground-Fleas
Benedictions against Enemies
Hunting Talismans
Stolen Goods
Charm Against Gunshot
Unlucky Days
Prayer before Journey

Appendix

Epilepsy
Salve to Heal Wounds
Peaches
Sweet Oil
Dropsy
Lock Jaw
Wasp or Bee Sting
Diarrhœa
Soap
Dyes
Veterinary Remedies
Index
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