A "Cure" For Measles

The Respiratory Technician dropped by today to check on my oxygen equipment, and was he a talker! It was great for me because he told me a really good story and then several old herbal remedies prominent in his family who were from Scott County, Virginia.

Here's his story that happened approximately 100 years ago. His grandfather worked for a lumber company when he was an adolescent. They were in a forest less than a day's walk from his home cutting white oak for barrel staves. His skin turned very red and he began to itch all over and clearly was running a temperature. His co-workers told him they thought he had the measles and he should go home. However, the measles would not "come out." It was clear that my storyteller believes that "measles have to come out and if they don't, it can kill you." I understood him to mean by "coming out" that bumps would not break out on the skin.

The young man put on all his clothes so he would not take a chill with the fever, and he walked all the way home. His mother worried because the measles would still not "come out." So she went to her neighbor's who owned several sheep. They collected sheep dung, then boiled it, and made a tea. She took it home and the young man drank it, and sure enough, the measles "came out" and he survived.

Some story! I invited the tech to our local storytelling group as I think he would fit right in with several of our members who collect local history. He looked interested, and I hope he comes!

His story also reminded me of one of Donald Davis' stories about Jack outsmarting the doctor by using pieces of sheep dung as "pills." I'm wondering if the measles belief and the cure using sheep dung is a rural legend (similar to an urban legend).