Certain herbs, culled at favourable conjunctions of the planets and worn as amulets, were held to be very efficacious against various diseases.  Precious stones and metals were also taken internally for the same purpose—­“remedies” which in certain cases must have proved exceedingly harmful.  One theory put forward for the supposed medical value of amulets was the Doctrine of Effluvia.  This theory supposes the amulets to give off vapours or effluvia which penetrate into the body and effect a cure.  It is, of course, true that certain herbs, etc., might, under the heat of the body, give off such effluvia, but the theory on the whole is manifestly absurd.  The Doctrine of Signatures, which we have already encountered in our excursions,[1] may also be mentioned in this connection as a complementary and equally untenable hypothesis.

According to ELIHU RICH,[2] the following were the commonest Egyptian amulets:—­

1.  Those inscribed with the figure of Serapis, used to preserve against evils inflicted by earth.

2.  Figure of Canopus, against evil by water.

3.  Figure of a hawk, against evil from the air.

4.  Figure of an asp, against evil by fire.

PARACELSUS believed there to be much occult virtue in an alloy of the seven chief metals, which he called Electrum.  Certain definite proportions of these metals had to be taken, and each was to be added during a favourable conjunction of the planets.  From this electrum he supposed that valuable amulets and magic mirrors could be prepared.

[1] See “Medicine and Magic.” [2] Op.  Cit., p. 343

A curious and ancient amulet for the cure of various diseases, particularly the ague, was a triangle formed of the letters of the word “Abracadabra.”  The usual form was that shown in fig. 19, and that shown in fig. 20 was also known.  The origin of this magical word is lost in obscurity.

The belief in the horn as a powerful amulet, especially prevalent in Italy, where is it the custom of the common people to make the sign of the mano cornuto to avoid the consequence of the dreaded jettatore or evil eye, can be traced to the fact that the horn was the symbol of the Goddess of the Moon.  Probably the belief in the powers of the horse-shoe had a similar origin.  Indeed, it seems likely that not only this, but most other amulets, like talismans proper—­as will appear below,—­were originally designed as appeals to gods and other powerful spiritual beings.

\ ABRACADABRA          /      \ ABRACADABRA |
\ ABRACADABR         /        \ BRACADABRA |
\ ABRACADAB        /          \ RACADABRA |
\ ABRACADA       /            \ ACADABRA |
\ ABRACAD      /              \ CADABRA |
\ ABRACA     /                \ ADABRA |
\ ABRAC    /                  \ DABRA |
\ ABRA   /                    \ ABRA |
\ ABR  /                      \ BRA |
\ AB /                        \ RA |
\ A/                          \ A |
\/                            \  |

[1] See FREDERICK T. ELWORTHY’S Horns of Honour (1900), especially pp. 56 et seq.