Charming Warts
August 24, 2006 at 8:30 PM
by Ashleigh
Mr Seb has a plantar wart (verruca) on the sole of his foot, and another starting on his toe. Did you know that wart in Dutch is a wrat? Nice anagram there.
And a plantar wart is a 'voetzoolwrat', literally a 'foot sole wart'.
Who better to share my new found Dutch warty knowledge with than you lot? Hey, I just realised I don't even have to worry about tranposing the letters of wart because it can be a wrat or a wart and still make sense.
Now, hold on tight, because I'm about to venture further into weirdness by admitting that I charmed Seb's wart today.
I did some reading up on plantar warts and seeing as my mom suffered from them terribly and had them cut out, had to wear special shoes, had them frozen, salicyc acid'd etc, I was pretty concerned that we'd be going to enjoy the same drama here.
I read on Dr Green's site that children are susceptible to suggestion with regard to warts. I also read that hypnosis is well-regarded as a cure for warts.
Then I read further that banana peel and apple cider vinegar work as does charming the wart with a potato.
Then I remembered my gran doing this!
So we charmed the warts. I cut a potato in half, rubbed each half across the warts in a clockwise motion whilst chanting, 'Wart wart go away, don't come back another day' three times. Then I threw the potato away and put a plaster on the warts. I remember Gran burying the potato, but I couldn't be bothered. Think that it going into a landfill will work just as well?
I think Gran did a prayer, but then she was over-religious anyway. I'll settle for good old witchcraft instead.
Seb is quite charmed by the idea, heh.