Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese Vol II. - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/66

 sickness of the end of growth). The symptoms are said to be feverishness, loss of appetite and peculiar ridges crossing the middle of the nails. This indisposition is, like the sakét dròë or manyaʾ, regarded as one which must be allowed to take its natural course.

Where children suffer from such a complaint, nature is assisted by laying on the forehead either chuluët-leaves (which resemble betel-leaves in appearance) or a chewed-up compost of cheukō (kěnchur), onions and turmeric. Another method resorted to in order to expel the demon of childish maladies is smoking (rabōn) with the vapour of burning bones, leaves, onions and horn.

If a child suffers from hiccough, a small fragment of sirih-leaf is laid on its forehead.

For headache or cold in the head various kinds of strongly flavoured rujak (cheunichah) are eaten.

The old-fashioned housewife has always at hand a bag containing a store of the different simples appertaining to domestic doctoring. In this baluëm ubat are also carefully preserved the first excreta of newly-born infants (èʾ meujadi or mula jadi), regarded as a potent ingredient in remedies for convulsions etc.

Human urine is also believed to have healing powers ; that of boys still uncircumcised is administered to those who have sustained a heavy fall from a tree or the roof of a house, etc., while water made in the morning immediately after rising (ulèë iëʾ) is considered a sovereign remedy for jaundice (bambang kunèng).

It is believed that the bites of sundry poisonous creatures can be cured by rubbing the part affected with some precious stone credited with healing powers, especially that known as akèʾ (Arab. ʿaqīg). For snake-bite is prescribed, in addition to incantations, cauterizing with red-hot iron or the application to the spot of half a split tamarind-seed. It is said that the bite of the snake known as uleuë maté iku can only be cured by laying on the wound the brains of a snake of the same description.

Small fresh superficial wounds or cuts are treated by applying to them by way of wadding the white web of a certain sort of spider called chaʾië.