Table of contents

I. HEALTH AND POPULAR THOUGHT

The body

• Hair

• • Hair colour
  • Hair and illness

• Colour of the eyes

• • Qualities attributed to the eye colour
  • Eye colour and illness

• Eyebrow shape

• Health bodily signs

• • Fatness
  • Build
  • Other health signs

• Temperament

• • Types of temperament
  • Basque categories

Environmental influence

• Climate

• • Night air
  • Night dew and dampness
  • Winds

Seasonal changes and phases of the moon

• Improving the air in the patient's room

• • Burning sugar, alcohol and incense
  • Burning and boiling herbs

• Clothing

• Food

• • Health and unhealthy food
  • Harmful food previously considered to be healthy
  • Comfort food and drinks
  • Refreshing food and drinks
  • Intake of food
  • Curative virtues of water

Name of the illnesses

• Contagious diseases

• Epidemics

• Quarantine and insolating the ill

Contemporary transitions

• Deferral of homemade remedies

• Food and household hygiene

• Social Security

• Preventive medicine

 

II. SYMPTOMS AND GENERAL REMEDIES

Fever or temperature

• Names

• Fever-related illnesses

• • Fever in childhood illnesses

• Types of fever

• • Typhoid fever
  • Malta fever

• Remedies for ordinary or flu-like temperatures

• • Apply cold presses and take baths
  • Infusions and bloodletting
  • Intake of liquids and food
  • Other remedies

• Remedies against Malta fevers and typhoid fever

Sweating

Illness where sweating is used

• Measures to make people sweat

• • Sweating and staying in bed
  • Hot milk with honey
  • Treatments made with wine

Rubs

• Procedures and objects using to rub

• Liquids or other items used in the rubs

• • Alcohol rubs
  • Iodine rubs
  • Vinegar rubs
  • Grease rubs
  • Nettle rubs
  • Poultice rubs
  • Rubs with pharmaceutical products

• Illnesses where rubs are used

 

III. FOLK MEDICINE

Folk medicine

• Healers

• • Local healers
  • Bonesetters
  • Healers of different illnesses

• People who apply healing practices

• • Carers

Medicines kept at home

• Medicinal plant grown

• Medicinal herbs collected in the fields or mountains

 

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HEAD

IV. HEAD AILMENTS

Headaches

• Names and types

• Causes of headaches

• Headache remedies

• • Bed rest
  • Applying poultices
  • Herbal tisanes
  • Stisanem inhalation
  • Decongesting the head
  • Different remedies
  • Magical remedies
  • Medicines

Dizziness and sickness

• Dizziness

Height vertigo

• Sickness

• • Sickness remedies
  • Sickness caused by braziers
  • Travel sickness

Inebriation

Nostalgia

• Origin of nostalgia

• Remedies to cure nostalgia

Alienation

Names and expressions

• Causes of the madness

• • Suffering and depression
  • Mental effort and blows to the head
  • Genetic and consanguinity
  • Female reproductive physiology
  • The moon and southerly wind
  • Old age and other causes

Remedies for nervous illnesses

St. Vitus dance

• Names

• Causes of the St. Vitus dance

• Remedies against St. Vitus dance

Epilepsy

• Names

• Causes of epilepsy

• Symptoms of epilepsy

• Remedies for epilepsy

 

V. TOOTHACHE

Remedies for cavities and teeth infections

• Mouthwashes and poultices

• Burning incense and stisanem inhalations

• Applying heat

• Applying cold

• Remedies for abscesses and other inflammations

• Remedies with garlic

• Other practices

• Folk remedies

Extracting teeth and molars

• Teeth pulling at home

• Teeth extractions by trained people

 

VI. EYE DISEASES

Eye conditions

Eye colds

• Pink eye

• Eye inflammation

• Bleary eyed

• Irritated eyes and ocular spills

Stye

• Names

• Causes

• Remedies

• • Applying an iron key
  • Applying a gold ring

Extracting foreign bodies

• Stone or metal objects

• Rubbing and lifting the eyelids

• Using water

• Keeping the eye closed

• Use of auxiliary objects

• Folk remedies

Squints. Crossed-eyes

• Names

• Causes

• Correcting squints

Blindness

 

VII. EAR DISEASES

Earache

Olive oil

• Earwax build-up

• Mother's milk

• Remedies with plants

• Applying heat and other remedies

Buzzing or humming

Deafness

 

SKIN

VIII. SKIN IRRITATIONS AND LESIONS

SKIN LESIONS

Abrasions, urratua and surface wounds

• Names

• Empirical remedies

• • Water and soap
  • Oil and lard
  • Herbs
  • Garlic and egg
  • Powders and urine

• Remedies for festering wounds

• • Boiled water and soap
  • Onion and oil with herbs
  • Pasmo-belarra and ebaki-belarra
  • Mallow

Burns

• Remedies

• • Cold water, snow and heat
  • Soap, virgin oil and lime
  • Potato, egg white, other products
  • Animal dung
  • Elder, wax and oil
  • Plants
  • Burn cloths

• Blisters and infections due to burns

• Pharmaceutical remedies

Skin cracking

• Causes and names

• Cracking remedies

• • Urine
  • Lard and wax
  • Plants
  • Skin

Calluses

• Causes

• Names

• Empirical remedies

• • Plants
  • Water baths and curettage

• Other remedies

• Pharmaceutical remedies

SKIN IRRITATIONS

Eczema, legena

• Causes and names

• Empirical remedies

• • Oils
  • Plants
  • Herbal tisanes
  • Healing waters

• Other remedies

• Other skin irritations

 

IX. SKIN CONTAGIOUS DISEASES AND INFECTIONS

SKIN INFECTIONS

Chilblains

• Names

• Causes

• Remedies

• • Water concoctions Snow
  • Plants. Ash
  • Disinfectants
  • Burning objects

Boils

• Causes and names

• Empirical remedies

• • Onions
  • Water compresses
  • Dressings and ointments

• • • Onions
    • Rennet and breadcrumbs
    • Verbena and sage
    • Ivy and cuckoo-pint
    • Osabedarra and uztabedarra
    • Elder
    • Bitter gourd and latex
    • Mallow
    • Oil, grease and wax
    • Snails and clay

Acne inversa

Inflammations

• Remedies for inflammations

• Remedies for neck inflammations. Growing pains

Whitlows

• Causes and names

• Empirical remedies

• • Hot water
  • Onions
  • Flour or bread dressings
  • Plant poultices
  • Greasy ointments

Spots and acne

• Spots

• • Remedies

• Acne

• • Remedies

Herpes

• Causes

• Empirical remedies

• Belief remedies

• Herpes area

Erysipelas

• Causes and names

• Empirical remedies

SKIN CONTAGIOUS DISEASES

Scabies

• Causes and names

• Empirical remedies

• • Lard and sulphur
  • Water baths and plant decoctions

• Belief remedies

• • Purification in the St. John's bonfire
  • Purification with St. John's dew
  • St. John's water

Ringworm

Causes

• Remedies

Sexual diseases

• Social issue and way of contracting them

• Names

• Remedies

• Lice

Appendix 1: Whitlows. Curing rites and formulas

Appendix 2: Neck scrofula. Curing rites and formulas

 

X. SKIN MARKS. HAIR AND NAILS

SKIN MARKS

Warts

• Names

• Causes

• Empirical remedies

• • Plant latex
  • Poultices
  • Plant nitrate and other products
  • Tying with silk thread
  • Menstruation and sage

• Belief remedies

• Grains of salt

• Ablutions with water and entreaties before rainbows

• Rites with plants and fruits

• • Bulrushes
  • Juniper berries
  • Apples. Bacon
  • Garlic. Onions
  • Grains of wheat, chickpeas and stones
  • Olive and boxwood leaves
  • Slugs, limpets and toads
  • Coin offerings

Freckles and moles

• Names

Causes

• Beliefs

• Remedies

• Cravings and blanket

HAIR AND NAILS

Baldness

• Beliefs and names

• Causes of baldness

• Baldness remedies

• • Recommendations and beliefs
  • Empirical remedies
  • Ointments

• St. John's day and May water

• Dandruff

Nails

• Beliefs about nail clipping

• Beliefs about hangnails

FOOT SWEATING

• Causes

• Precautionary measures

• Empirical remedies

 

BLOOD

XI. BLOOD

Blood impurities

• Causes of blood impurities

• Remedies to deal with blood impurities

• • Cleansing the blood
  • Blood thinning. High blood pressure
  • Improving blood circulation

Bloodletting

• Different types of bloodletting

• Obtaining leeches

• Diseases treated by bloodletting

• Ways of applying the leaches and carrying out the bloodletting

• Appropriate times for bloodletting

Diabetes

Anaemia

Nose bleeds

• Tilting back the head

Applying cold

• Plugging the nose

• Other remedies

Haemorrhoids and varicose veins

• Causes

• Remedies

• Varicose veins

 

INTERNAL ORGANS

XII. RESPIRATORY DISEASES

Cold

• Names

• General remedies

• • Stisanem inhalation
  • Honey with milk or with lemon juice
  • Wine hot toddy
  • Herbal tisanes
  • Feet soaking

Sneezing

Head cold

Sinusitis

Stuffy nose

• Names

• Remedies for stuffy noses

• • Salt water
  • Stisanem inhalation

Sore throats

• Names

• Remedies for sore throats

• • Ash, bran, salt
  • Poultices
  • Sheep's wool
  • Rubbing alcohol wipes
  • Rubbing the throat
  • Gargling
  • Stisanem inhalation
  • Wine hot toddy
  • Herbal tisanes
  • Juices and different remedies

• Cough remedies

• • Hot milk and juices
  • Herbal tisanes and syrups
  • Pharmaceutical remedies

• Loss of voice, hoarseness

• • Gargling
  • Drinks and herbal tisanes

Asthma

• Flu

Chest cold

• Names

• Remedies for chest colds

• • Poultices
  • Rubbing alcohol wipes
  • Sitz baths
  • Iodine tincture
  • Stisanem inhalation
  • Syrups
  • Herbal tisanes

Pneumonia

• Names

• Remedies for pneumonia

• Cupping

• • Conditions for which it is used
  • Application methods
  • People who apply the cups and time
  • Validity

• Pleurisy

Consumption

• Names

• Causes, symptoms and transmission of the disease

• Remedies and precautionary measures

• • Recommendations
  • Home remedies
  • Poultices
  • Precautionary measures
  • Tuberculosis sanatorium

Rib pain

• Names

• Causes of rib pain

• Rib pain remedies

• • Applying heat
  • Poultices
  • Other remedies

Hiccups

• Names and causes

• Empirical remedies

• • Scaring them away
  • Drinking water
  • Holding one's breath
  • Turning garments inside out or an object over
  • Pressures and postures

 

XIII. STOMACH AND INTESTINES

Stomach upsets

• Names

Causes of stomach upsets

• • Excessive eating and drinking
  • Chills
  • Nerves, annoyances and genetic causes

• Stomach pains and their remedies

• • Camomile tisane
  • Peppermint, linden, wild tisanes
  • Infusions of other plants
  • Applying heat to the stomach
  • Poultices and rubs
  • Dieting
  • Digestive beverages

• Urdailena

• Dropped stomach

• • Causes and names
  • Remedies

• Stomach ulcer

• • Remedies

• Indigestion, betetasuna

• • Remedies

• Heartburn

• • Remedies

Burping and belching

• Miserere colic

Vomiting

• Names

• Types of vomit

• Causes of vomiting

• • Natural causes
  • Circumstantial causes

• Emetics

• • Means to cause vomiting

• Poisoning

• • Remedies for poisoning

Diarrhoea

• Causes

• Names

• Empirical remedies

• • Fasting and dieting
  • Rice, lemonade, white wine
  • Quince, egg white, grated apple and other fruits
  • Dairy products
  • Different anti-diarrheal cures

• Plant tisanes

• • Tea, camomile and loosestrife
  • Rose hip, yarrow and bramble shoots
  • Flax and other plants

• Contemporary transitions

Constipation

• Causes

• Names

Empirical remedies

• • Fruit diet
  • Raw oil and castor oil
  • Drinking water

• Plant tisanes

• Soap cuttings

Enemas and implements to insert them

• Pharmaceutical remedies and contemporary transitions

Worms

Causes

• • Eating sweets
  • Drinking milk or water
  • Contact with dirt

• Names

• Symptoms and effects

Worm eliminating medicines

• • Garlic
  • Concoctions
  • Herbal tisanes
  • Poultices
  • Enemas
  • Pharmaceutical remedies

• Belief remedies

• • Garlic
  • Rue

• Tapeworm

Appendix: Curing hernia on St. John's Eve

 

XIV. LIVER, KIDNEY AND OTHER ENTRAILS

Liver diseases

• Causes of liver ailments

• Remedies for liver ailments

Jaundice

• Causes of jaundice

• Symptoms of jaundice

• Names for jaundice

• Remedies to cure jaundice

• • Swallowing lice
  • Drinking tisanes
  • Resting and eating clean food
  • Belief remedies

Gallbladder diseases

• Causes of gallbladder ailments

• Remedies for gallbladder ailments

Spleen diseases

• Causes of spleen ailments

Belief remedies for spleen ailments

Kidney diseases

• Ailments and names

• Diuretics and remedies for cystitis

• • Corn whiskers
  • Horsetail
  • Couch grass. Cherry stalks
  • Parsley
  • Different tisanes
  • Applying heat

• Remedies for kidney stones

• • Stone breakers
  • Onions

• Belief remedies for kidney ailments

Heart diseases

• Causes

• Names

• Remedies

Dropsy

• Disease and symptoms

• Empirical remedies

• Belief remedies

Cancer

• Names

• Beliefs and considerations

Remedies

 

BONES

XV. LUMBAGO AND RHEUMATIC AILMENTS

Rheumatism

• Causes of rheumatism

• Remedies to cure rheumatism

• • Applying heat
  • Rubbings
  • Baths
  • Tisanes and decoctions
  • Remedies with garlic
  • Remedies with nettles
  • Dormouse fat and badger fat
  • Copper bracelets
  • Potato or chestnut in the pocket
  • Other folk remedies

Lumbago

• Causes of lumbago

• Remedies for lumbago

• • Applying heat
  • Rubbings, massages and baths
  • Waist back support and applying patches
  • Folk remedies

Sciatica

Synovitis

Stiff necks; cramps and sore feet

Hump

• Causes and names

• Remedies

• Beliefs and social aspects

Rickets

Names

• Causes

• Remedies

 

XVI. FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS

Bone fractures

Bonesetters

• Consulting local healers

• Operations carried out by the healers

• Continued existence of the healers

Sprains and dislocations

• Names

• Remedies for twists

• Common remedies for sprains and dislocations

Dislocation healers

Blows

• Bruising

• Salt water

Herbs and poultices

Appendix: Zantiratua

 

INJURIES

XVII. WOUNDS AND BLEEDING. EXTRACTING THORNS

Stopping bleeding caused by wounds

• Small wounds

• • Water and disinfectants
  • Applying pressure
  • Cigarette paper and cobwebs
  • Thistles and other plants
  • Ash and powdery substances Other practices

• Serious wounds. Tourniquets

• Curing and infection of wounds

Gangrene

• Causes

• Remedies and prevention

• • Cauterisation and bleeding
  • Poultices
  • Herbal tisanes

Tetanus

• Causes

• Remedies and prevention

Extracting thorns/bones and foreign bodies

• Using pins, needles and spikes

• Using tweezers

• Applying gall and other animal products

• Plant remedies

Treating puncture infections

• Wounds caused by nails

• Bones stuck in the throat

Appendix: Lightheaded wounded

 

XVIII. BITES AND STINGS

Dog bites

• Treating the wounded

• Rabies

• • Christmas Eve bread
  • Causes of rabies
  • Symptoms of the disease
  • Treatment
  • Folk healers
  • Outcome of the disease

Snake bites

• Folk remedies and healers

• Empirical remedies

• • Cauterisations
  • Plant remedies
  • Applying hen cloacal swabs
  • Lancing, sucking and applying tourniquets
  • Different remedies

Attacks by others animals

Insect bites/stings

• Bees and wasps

• Mosquitoes, horseflies, lice and fleas

• Ticks and scorpions

 

XIX. FROSTBITE, HEAT-STROKE, CHOKING AND LIGHTNING STRIKE

Frostbite

Heat-stroke

• Remedies against heat-stroke

Choking

Lightning strike

• Protecting people

• • Caution with trees. Hawthorn
  • Caution with metal tools
  • Caution with livestock
  • House-related prevention
  • Other prevention

• Remedies applies to lightning injuries

Sudden death

 

THE REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE

XX. REPRODUCTION

Menstruation

• Names

• Precautionary measures during menstruation

• • Referring to the woman herself
  • Referring to touching food and plants

• Remedies for menstrual pain

Pregnancy and delivery

Breast-feeding ailments

Out of sorts

• • Applying heat
  • Charm to protect the breasts
  • Comforters

• Cracked nipples

Pregnancy terminations

• Miscarriages

• Abortions

• • Abortifacient plants and other methods

• Avoiding pregnancy

Sterility and fertility

• Beliefs and social aspects

Menopause

 

EARLY CHILDHOOD

XXI. CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES

Infectious diseases

• Measles

• • Disease and names
  • Remedies

• Whooping cough

• • Disease and names
  • Remedies

• • • Clean air
    • Snail slime
    • Prickly pear sap
    • Kerosene
    • Breathing smoke
    • Tisanes and milk
    • Sweating
    • Drinking water
    • Vaccination

• Mumps

• • Disease and names
  • Remedies

• • • Bran and poultices
    • Sheep's wool
    • Tissue

• Chickenpox

• Rubella

• Diphtheria

• Scarlet fever

• Other diseases

Skin diseases

• Dandruff

• • Names and identification
  • Remedies

• Scabs

• Impetigo

• Jaundice

• Spots

• Swellings

Digestive ailments

• Stomach ache

• Constipation

Respiratory diseases

 

XXII. TEETHING. BED-WETTING. SPEAKING AND NERVE PROBLEMS

Teething

• First teeth

• Permanent teeth

Bed-wetting

• Precautions to avoid bed-wetting

• Associated beliefs and folk remedies

Speaking problems

• Names

• Causes

• Remedies

Nervous spasms

• Names

• Causes of convulsions

• Remedies against convulsions

 

BELIEF-BASED MEDICINE

XXIII. BELIEFS ABOUT THE CAUSE OF SOME DISEASES

A curse as the cause of the disease

• Names

Spells and curses Belief in their effectiveness

• Effect of the curse

• Beggar's or gypsy's curse

• Common curses and wishing ill

• Cursing formulas

• Lahiga gesture

Evil eye and its health effects

Names

• Agents

• Patients

• Symptoms

• Survival of the belief

• Protective remedies

• • Gospels
  • Ancient kutunes (charms)
  • Sash
  • Religious medals

• Curing the evil eye

• Blessed water from three churches

• Family water and indigo water

• Father's shirt

• Clothes worn inside out

• Diagnosis using molten led

 

XXIV. HEALTH AND POPULAR RELIGION

• Vows and promises

• Promise to put on a religious habit

• Vows leading to pilgrims to shrines

Chapels and shrines frequented in case of illness

• To pray for offspring

• • Santa Casilda. Briviesca (Burgos)
  • San Fausto. Bujanda (A)
  • Our Lady of Angosto and Golden Chapel (A)
  • San Miguel de Aralar (N)
  • Our Lady of Ujué. Javier Castle (N)
  • San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Andra Mari de Almike (B)
  • Andra Mari de Agirre. Gorliz (B)
  • Loyola Basilica (G)
  • Sandaili (San Elías). Oñati (G)
  • Other places of pilgrimage

• Pregnancy and delivery

Early childhood diseases

• Offering up the children at shrines

• • Our Lady of Olmo. Quintanilla de Valdegovía and Our Lady of Angosto (A)
  • San Antonio de Urkiola (B)
  • Our Lady of Antigua. Orduña (B)
  • Our Lady of Gardotza. Berriatua (B)
  • San Miguel de Aralar (N), Our Lady of Dorleta and Our Lady of Arrate (G)
  • Santo Cristo de Lezo (G)
  • Corpus Christi altar. Agurain (A)

• Breastfeeding problems

• Rickets

• • Our Lady of Arrate. Eibar (G)
  • Santa María Magdalena de Lamindano. Dima (B)
  • Santa Magdalena. Atharratze (Z)
  • Other places of pilgrimage

Delay in learning to walk

• • San Kiliz. Otazu (A)
  • San Miguel de Villabona. Artaza. Foronda (A)
  • San Esteban. Oñati (G)
  • San Bartolomé. Antzuola (G)
  • Santa Ana. Albiztur (G)
  • San Buenaventura. Unanua (N)
  • San Vicente (Bixintxo). Heleta (BN)
  • San Esteban. Errezil (G)

• Delay in talking and stuttering

• Cry babies

• Spells

• • Our Lady of the Spells. Arbeiza (N)
  • San Antonio de Urkiola (B)
  • San Pedro de Zarikete. Zalla (B)
  • San Felicísimo. Deusto (B)
  • Our Lady of Vega de Haro (La Rioja)
  • San Bernardo de Barria monastery(A)
  • Santa Isabel. Idiazabal (G)

• Sleep disorders

• • San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Bermeo (B)
  • San Juan de Olaberria (G)
  • San Bartolomé chapels
  • San Bartolomé oratory Sangüesa (N)
  • San Mamés. Zamudio and Kortezubi (B)
  • Our Lady of Uba, Altza and Santa Marina, Astisanesu (G)
  • San Miguel Bekoa, Errezil. San Esteban, Bergara. San Isidro, Oñati. San Pelayo, Zarautz (G) and Lekunberri (N)

• Bed-wetting

Adult diseases

• Headaches

  Placing the head in recesses

• • San Miguel de Excelsis. Aralar (N)
  • San Esteban. Usurbil (G)
  • San Pedro de Zegama and Our Lady of Zikuñaga. Hernani (G)
  • La Bien Aparecida chapel. Ampuero (Cantabria)
  • Shrine of the Maundy Thursday Monument

  Placing the head inside the bell

• • Golden Chapel. Murgia (A)
  • Our Lady of Antigua. Ondarroa (B)
  • San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Bermeo (B)
  • Our Lady of Okon (A)
  • San Martín. Castillo-Elejabeitia (B)

  Garments, water and making the way to the chapel

• • Santa Felicia. Labiano (N)
  • San Guillermo. Obanos (N)
  • San Víctor de Gauna (A)
  • San Víctor. Obecuri (A)
  • Santa Águeda. Alonsotegi (B)
  • Santa Águeda. Natxitua (B)

  Other practices

• • Santísima Trinidad. Andagoia (A)
  • San Prudencio. Getaria (G)
  • San Formerio. Ribera Alta (A)
  • San Pantaleón. Zalla (B)
  • Santa Leocadia. Urnieta (G)
  • Santa Elena. Irun (G)
  • Our Lady of Dorleta Gatzaga (G)
  • Other places of pilgrimage

• Eye diseases

• Earache

• Toothache

• Sore throats

• Rheumatism

• Skin diseases

• • Springs and wells with healing waters

• • • Dandruff or herpes
    • Boils
    • Warts

• Stomach aches

• Fevers

• Dropsy

• Rabies

• • San Bernardo de Barria (A)
  • Santa Quiteria
  • San Roque
  • Other protecting saints