Abracadabra

[yogi]

What's that all about
And, where did the word come from anyway

SPOILER: It's related to the cure for malaria http://gizmodo.com/the-fascinating-secr ... 1791435987

[Kellemora]

So I should go through a mosquito infested swamp to get to an east running river to throw the amulet in.
Seems like the instructions are self-defeating, hi hi...

[pilvikki]

i'm baffled as to why they didn't notice this method less than reliable....?

[yogi]

The local witches were handing out the recipes. Even doctors didn't want to mess with them.

[pilvikki]

and, I suppose, the reason for getting malaria, despite precautions, must have been your having angered some deity or another...

[yogi]

Malaria was thought to be the result of "bad air" in the swamp. If you didn't know about mosquitoes I supposes that would not be too obtuse of a speculation.

[pilvikki]

that's right, but why did your precautions not protect you from said fumes?

[yogi]

You ask a good question that I don't know how to answer. I can only speculate that the people weren't smart enough to think for themselves and trusted the gods/shaman and their advice. I imagine it was something like smoking cigarettes is today. Tobacco are not healthy things to put in your mouth, but millions of people still do it.

[pilvikki]

ah, we're talking apples and oranges here. let me try again:

I was wondering why the good people of Malaria Town did not notice that none of the methods suggested by their priests failed? so, would the priests then say that the affected ones were cursed by the gods for whatever transgression they dreamt up for the purpose?

[yogi]

It's kind of the same thing ... the so called cure worked if you lived long enough. Some people made it through on faith alone. The high priests didn't have a better answer than "bad air" and if you went into the swamp you certainly were at risk. Tossing amulets was the thing in those days, kind of like flu shots today. It apparently works sometimes.