the ancients, who used to sacrifice to him in the name of Hercules Canopianus in order to rid themselves of lice, and in the name of Acor Cyrenaicus to free themselves of flies, and in the name of Apollo Parnopianus that they might not be plagued with rats. The Romans also used to sacrifice to Fever, and the Indians to the Evil Spirit, so that they might not be invisible and harmful to them.
When this woman said the prayer for the foaling of horses, she raised herself upon her right hand and usually turned herself towards the church. And when she came to heal certain cows, before saying her prayer she used to ask the owner of the animals for bread and salt; but she never made the cows eat of either the bread or the salt. She used to practise countless other similar prayers.
A neighbour of mine was cured in this superstitious manner by an old woman who was suspected of being a witch. He was in his cradle taken with a very strange illness; for he had the hiccups so badly that at each spasm (and these were almost continuous) he could be heard at a distance of twenty-five or thirty paces, and also his eyes were so bleared and covered with wax that he could hardly see. They had recourse to doctors, but without any avail; and so it was thought that the sickness was due to witchcraft. They then consulted the old woman of whom I spoke, because she had previously used certain threats to the child’s father, and so prevailed upon her with their words that she promised to heal the child. She had herself shut in a room alone with him, after having asked for a tile, a salt-cat, and a blanket. They watched what she did
