Evil spirits

Kobald, from the German, goblin or evil spirit, cobalos, Greek, mine) Brandt discovered cobalt in about 1735. 

German Kobold, evil spirit Greek kobalos, goblin)... 

In Germany, the elder pith would be taken from dead branches and cut into round flat shapes, dipped in oil, then lit to float in a bowl of water. This was said to give a family protection and enable it to foresee any evil. In many countries of Europe, elder was planted to ward off evil spirits. 

Further uses of tars are documented much later in the Medieval period. Tar was also painted over doors or beds, where it was thought to ward off evil spirits, perhaps due to its pungent smell. Rajewski (1970) observes that references to tar can be encountered in many proverbs of at least Medieval date in both rural and urban populations. This remarkable ethnohistoric record has its roots in much earlier populations of northern Europe. 

Cobalt (Co, [Ar]3 J74s2), name from the German word kobold (evil spirit). Isolated (1735) by the Swedish chemist Georg Brandt. 

Saint-John s-wort was used in ancient Greece and medieval Europe, where it was believed to ward off evil spirits. Its name derives from wort, the Old English word for herb, and the fact that it was harvested in Europe on the eve of St. John s day (June 24th) and burned to purify the air (Fleiligenstein and Guenther 1998). Traditional uses include treatment of depression, insomnia, enuresis, and anxiety. Modern use has focused on its antidepressant effects and possible antiviral effects for treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (FIIV) (Fleiligenstein et al. 1998) (table 7.3). There has been some interest in its antiglioma effects as well (Couldwell et al. 1993). 

Cobalt - the atomic number is 27 and the chemical symbol is Co. The name derives from the German kobold for evil spirits or goblins , who were superstitiously thought to cause trouble for miners, since the mineral contained arsenic which injured their health and the metallic ores did not yield metals when treated with the normal methods. The name could also be derived from the Greek kobalos for mine . Cobalt was discovered in 1735 by the Swedish chemist Georg Brandt. 

Antiquity. The treatment of what we now call schizophrenia probably dates back to prehistoric times. In early cnltures, madness was usually believed to result from some malevolent external force that invaded the person and took possession of the individnal. Treatment efforts would then be directed at enticing or driving out these evil spirits. This would explain the rise of shamanistic exorcisms that existed in a variety of cnltnres and remain prevalent today. In addition, it may be that trepanation (removing a piece of the skull) practiced by Stone Age peoples may have been the hrst psychosnrgery used to allow the evil sprits an avenue of escape. 

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) established that some diseases are caused by microorganisms and not, as was thought to be the case at the time, by miasmas, evil spirits or divine intervention. Despite the scepticism of physicians, as illustrated above, Pasteur s work inspired a British surgeon, Joseph Lister, to introduce antiseptic methods into surgery in order to prevent wound infection. In March 1865, he operated for the first time using an antiseptic, carbolic acid (phenol). There were no infections after the surgery - a rare occurrence at that time. 

Problems that once were thought to have been caused by evil spirits, curses, had luck, or other vague and nonphysical factors have now been shown to result from chemical changes that can he studied, identified, and understood. Every time that kind of progress occurs, a specific method of dealing with a disorder using chemical compounds becomes possible. 

The precursors of modem psychopharmaceuticals. Le. opium, hellebore and rauwolfia, cannot be considered in isolation but only by reference to their contemporary healing arts. Mental illnesses and their possible treatment have confronted people with the same questions at all times where do the irrational ideas and impulses of the insane come from their moods, notions, anxiety and illogical behavior Have these people sinned so that God has now cast an evil spirit into them as a punishment What is this evil spirit a spirit of nature, the ghost of an ancestor, a devil Or is it the patient s sick body that produces the delusions without an outside agent an unknown disease, a poison from within ... 

With a head full of evil spirits such as these, how can a person write It s a lose-lose proposition if ever there was one You re frustrated when you don t write because the job needs doing, but you re frustrated when you do write because the words won t come out just right. As a result, it is quite natural to avoid—or put off—an activity that prompts such a mixture of conflicted, largely negative thoughts under such circumstances, there is little hope of ever enjoying die writing process. 

These traditions were mixed with Catholicism, especially Spanish uses and habits that resulted in a modified Aztec culture. As an example, the Badianus Codex describes a remedy for "black blood," translating the Aztec term for melancholy. Badianus used the words "black blood", a common term in sixteenth-century Europe, but the Aztecs considered melancholy not a visitation of an evil spirit but a definite physical disorder. 

PENTACULA — Called also Periamata, Periapta, Apotroptea, Parartemata, is an Amulet which is worn round the neck, and is supposed to preserve the wearer against evil spirits and sorcery. 

In Europe in the Middle Ages, red coral was given to babies to chew on, in order to fasten and strengthen dieir teeth. An added benefit was that coral was believed to ward off evil spirits. In powdered form it was fed to babies in milk to prevent fits. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was still being given to babies, as a traditional Christening present, for example as a necklace, or a teether attached to a rattle. 

The name peony comes from Paeon, a physician in Greek mythology. His teacher was jealous of his skills as a healer and intended to murder him. The gods took pity and Pluto turned him into a flower to save him from this fate. With this start it is not surprising that there is a wealth of folklore attached to these species. The plant is alleged to relieve headaches, cure convulsions, prevent nightmares, and if placed by the door of a house it will also keep all those inside safe from evil spirits. A truly miraculous and versatile plant indeed. 

The word cobalt may date back to the end of the 15th century. In German, the word Kobold means goblin or evil spirit. The term was used by miners to describe a mineral that was very difficult to mine and was damaging to their health. When the mineral was heated, it gave off an offensive gas that caused illness. The gas that affected the miners was arsenic trioxide (AS4O6), which often occurs with cobalt in nature. 

EVIL SPIRITS THAT BREAK THE BONDS BETWEEN OURSELVES AND OUR ELDERS, DISRUPT THE CIRCLE OF OUR FAMILY SYSTEM, DESTROY THE HARMONY BETWEEN US AND ALL CREATION. 

Hypericum perforatum is Greek for over an apparition. It was believed that evil spirits disliked the plant s odor and thus could be warded away (1). Hypericum is a perennial aromatic shrub with bright yellow flowers that bloom from June to September (2). The flowers are said to be at their brightest and most abundant around June 24th, the day traditionally believed to be the birth-... 

Since the Chinese are the first people on record to use the marijuana plant for their clothes, their writing materials, their confrontation with evil spirits, and in their treatment of pain and disease, it is not surprising that they are also the first people on record to experience marijuana s peculiar psychedelic effects. 

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