the golden bough-第18章

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n　a　tree　in　the　woods；　in　order　that　he　may　be　a　hunter。　The　Incas　of　Peru　preserved　the　navel…string　with　the　greatest　care；　and　gave　it　to　the　child　to　suck　whenever　it　fell　ill。　In　ancient　Mexico　they　used　to　give　a　boy's　navel…string　to　soldiers；　to　be　buried　by　them　on　a　field　of　battle；　in　order　that　the　boy　might　thus　acquire　a　passion　for　war。　But　the　navel…string　of　a　girl　was　buried　beside　the　domestic　hearth；　because　this　was　believed　to　inspire　her　with　a　love　of　home　and　taste　for　cooking　and　baking。

Even　in　Europe　many　people　still　believe　that　a　person's　destiny　is　more　or　less　bound　up　with　that　of　his　navel…string　or　afterbirth。　Thus　in　Rhenish　Bavaria　the　navel…string　is　kept　for　a　while　wrapt　up　in　a　piece　of　old　linen；　and　then　cut　or　pricked　to　pieces　according　as　the　child　is　a　boy　or　a　girl；　in　order　that　he　or　she　may　grow　up　to　be　a　skilful　workman　or　a　good　sempstress。　In　Berlin　the　midwife　commonly　delivers　the　dried　navel…string　to　the　father　with　a　strict　injunction　to　preserve　it　carefully；　for　so　long　as　it　is　kept　the　child　will　live　and　thrive　and　be　free　from　sickness。　In　Beauce　and　Perche　the　people　are　careful　to　throw　the　navel…string　neither　into　water　nor　into　fire；　believing　that　if　that　were　done　the　child　would　be　drowned　or　burned。

Thus　in　many　parts　of　the　world　the　navel…string；　or　more　commonly　the　afterbirth；　is　regarded　as　a　living　being；　the　brother　or　sister　of　the　infant；　or　as　the　material　object　in　which　the　guardian　spirit　of　the　child　or　part　of　its　soul　resides。　Further；　the　sympathetic　connexion　supposed　to　exist　between　a　person　and　his　afterbirth　or　navel…string　comes　out　very　clearly　in　the　widespread　custom　of　treating　the　afterbirth　or　navel…string　in　ways　which　are　supposed　to　influence　for　life　the　character　and　career　of　the　person；　making　him；　if　it　is　a　man；　a　nimble　climber；　a　strong　swimmer；　a　skilful　hunter；　or　a　brave　soldier；　and　making　her；　if　it　is　a　woman；　a　cunning　sempstress；　a　good　baker；　and　so　forth。　Thus　the　beliefs　and　usages　concerned　with　the　afterbirth　or　placenta；　and　to　a　less　extent　with　the　navel…string；　present　a　remarkable　parallel　to　the　widespread　doctrine　of　the　transferable　or　external　soul　and　the　customs　founded　on　it。　Hence　it　is　hardly　rash　to　conjecture　that　the　resemblance　is　no　mere　chance　coincidence；　but　that　in　the　afterbirth　or　placenta　we　have　a　physical　basis　（not　necessarily　the　only　one）　for　the　theory　and　practice　of　the　external　soul。　The　consideration　of　that　subject　is　reserved　for　a　later　part　of　this　work。

A　curious　application　of　the　doctrine　of　contagious　magic　is　the　relation　commonly　believed　to　exist　between　a　wounded　man　and　the　agent　of　the　wound；　so　that　whatever　is　subsequently　done　by　or　to　the　agent　must　correspondingly　affect　the　patient　either　for　good　or　evil。　Thus　Pliny　tells　us　that　if　you　have　wounded　a　man　and　are　sorry　for　it；　you　have　only　to　spit　on　the　hand　that　gave　the　wound；　and　the　pain　of　the　sufferer　will　be　instantly　alleviated。　In　Melanesia；　if　a　man's　friends　get　possession　of　the　arrow　which　wounded　him；　they　keep　it　in　a　damp　place　or　in　cool　leaves；　for　then　the　inflammation　will　be　trifling　and　will　soon　subside。　Meantime　the　enemy　who　shot　the　arrow　is　hard　at　work　to　aggravate　the　wound　by　all　the　means　in　his　power。　For　this　purpose　he　and　his　friends　drink　hot　and　burning　juices　and　chew　irritating　leaves；　for　this　will　clearly　inflame　and　irritate　the　wound。　Further；　they　keep　the　bow　near　the　fire　to　make　the　wound　which　it　has　inflicted　hot；　and　for　the　same　reason　they　put　the　arrow…head；　if　it　has　been　recovered；　into　the　fire。　Moreover；　they　are　careful　to　keep　the　bow…string　taut　and　to　twang　it　occasionally；　for　this　will　cause　the　wounded　man　to　suffer　from　tension　of　the　nerves　and　spasms　of　tetanus。　It　is　constantly　received　and　avouched；　says　Bacon；　that　the　anointing　of　the　weapon　that　maketh　the　wound　will　heal　the　wound　itself。　In　this　experiment；　upon　the　relation　of　men　of　credit　（though　myself；　as　yet；　am　not　fully　inclined　to　believe　it）；　you　shall　note　the　points　following：　first；　the　ointment　wherewith　this　is　done　is　made　of　divers　ingredients；　whereof　the　strangest　and　hardest　to　come　by　are　the　moss　upon　the　skull　of　a　dead　man　unburied；　and　the　fats　of　a　boar　and　a　bear　killed　in　the　act　of　generation。　The　precious　ointment　compounded　out　of　these　and　other　ingredients　was　applied；　as　the　philosopher　explains；　not　to　the　wound　but　to　the　weapon；　and　that　even　though　the　injured　man　was　at　a　great　distance　and　knew　nothing　about　it。　The　experiment；　he　tells　us；　had　been　tried　of　wiping　the　ointment　off　the　weapon　without　the　knowledge　of　the　person　hurt；　with　the　result　that　he　was　presently　in　a　great　rage　of　pain　until　the　weapon　was　anointed　again。　Moreover；　it　is　affirmed　that　if　you　cannot　get　the　weapon；　yet　if　you　put　an　instrument　of　iron　or　wood　resembling　the　weapon　into　the　wound；　whereby　it　bleedeth；　the　anointing　of　that　instrument　will　serve　and　work　the　effect。　Remedies　of　the　sort　which　Bacon　deemed　worthy　of　his　attention　are　still　in　vogue　in　the　eastern　counties　of　England。　Thus　in　Suffolk　if　a　man　cuts　himself　with　a　bill…hook　or　a　scythe　he　always　takes　care　to　keep　the　weapon　bright；　and　oils　it　to　prevent　the　wound　from　festering。　If　he　runs　a　thorn　or；　as　he　calls　it；　a　bush　into　his　hand；　he　oils　or　greases　the　extracted　thorn。　A　man　came　to　a　doctor　with　an　inflamed　hand；　having　run　a　thorn　into　it　while　he　was　hedging。　On　being　told　that　the　hand　was　festering；　he　remarked；　That　didn't　ought　to；　for　I　greased　the　bush　well　after　I　pulled　it　out。　If　a　horse　wounds　its　foot　by　treading　on　a　nail；　a　Suffolk　groom　will　invariably　preserve　the　nail；　clean　it；　and　grease　it　every　day；　to　prevent　the　foot　from　festering。　Similarly　Cambridgeshire　labourers　think　that　if　a　horse　has　run　a　nail　into　its　foot；　it　is　necessary　to　grease　the　nail　with　lard　or　oil　and　put　it　away　in　some　safe　place；　or　the　horse　will　not　recover。　A　few　years　ago　a　veterinary　surgeon　was　sent　for　to　attend　a　horse　which　had　ripped　its　side　open　on　the　hinge　of　a　farm　gatepost。　On　arriving　at　the　farm　he　found　that　nothing　had　been　done　for　the　wounded　horse；　but　that　a　man　was　busy　trying　to　pry　the　hinge　out　of　the　gatepost　in　order　that　it　might　be　greased　and　put　away；　which；　in　the　opinion　of　the　Cambridge　wiseacres；　would　conduce　to　the　recovery　of　the　animal。　Similarly　Essex　rustics　opine　that；　if　a　man　has　been　stabbed　with　a　knife；　it　is　essential　to　his　recovery　that　the　knife　should　be　greased　and　laid　across　the　bed　on　which　the　sufferer　is　lying。　So　in　Bavaria　you　are　directed　to　anoint　a　linen　rag　with　grease　and　tie　it　on　the　edge　of　the　axe　that　cut　you；　taking　care　to　keep　the　sharp　edge　upwards。　As　the　grease　on　the　axe　dries；　your　wound　heals。　Similarly　in　the　Harz　Mountains　they　say　that　if　you　cut　yourself；　you　ought　to　smear　the　knife　or　the　scissors　with　fat　and　put　the　instrument　away　in　a　dry　place　in　the　name　of　the　Father；　of　the　Son；　and　of　the　Holy　Ghost。　As　the　knife　dries；　the　wound　heals。　Other　people；　however；　in　Germany　say　that　you　should　stick　the　knife　in　some　damp　place　in　the　ground；　and　that　your　hurt　will　heal　as　the　knife　rusts。　Others　again；　in　Bavaria；　recommend　you　to　smear　the　axe　or　whatever　it　is　with　blood　and　put　it　under　the　eaves。

The　train　of　reasoning　which　thus　commends　itself　to　English　and　German　rustics；　in　common　with　the　savages　of　Melanesia　and　America；　is　carried　a　step　further　by　the　aborigines　of　Central　Australia；　who　conceive　that　under　certain　circumstances　the　near　relations　of　a　wounded　man　must　grease　themselves；　restrict　their　diet；　and　regulate　their　behaviour　in　other　ways　in　order　to　ensure　his　recovery。　Thus　when　a　lad　has　been　circumcised　and　the　wound　is　not　yet　healed；　his　mother　may　not　eat　opossum；　or　a　certain　kind　of　lizard；　or　carpet　snake；　or　any　kind　of　fat；　for　otherwise　she　would　retard　the　healing　of　the　boy's　wound。　Every　day　she　greases　her　digging…sticks　and　never　lets　them　out　of　her　sight；　at　night　she　sleeps　with　them　close　to　her　head。　No　one　is　allowed　to　touch　them。　Every　day　also　she　rubs　her　body　all　over　with　grease；　as　in　some　way　this　is　believed　to　hel