A SCRAM'D HAND, TOPSHAM, 1842.

The Western Times of the first of January, 1842 published this letter to the editor from an 'old subscriber' who 'gave his name and address':

"A short time since a young woman of Topsham, who had for some time been suffering from (what  her mother called) a scram'd hand so bad that she could not work; she got a recommend to the Hospital  -  when she had been there a short time her hand became well;  at the end of three weeks she was discharged, and went home, when on her arrival at her mother's house her hand became in the scramed or contracted way again;  the good folks of Topsham said she was overlooked, and advised her to one Fouracres, of Budleigh, a wise man, who it is said can do the wonderful; the mother and daughter went to him  -  the old man at first refused to act for her, saying he had not done anything in that way for some time, but by the importunity of her mother the old man gave her something to give her ease.

"The girl returned home and her hand got righted, but she still felt dreadful prickings like those of needles.  She went to Mr.Tothill, of Topsham, who extracted the astonishing number of ninety-five needles, of various sizes,  from her hand, and there are still more to be felt in her arm.

"I have seen the needles, and you, sir, may see them also   by going to Mr.Tothill, surgeon,, Topsham, who kindly showed them to me.  But how came they in her  is what we should be glad to know;  Mr. T. says she must have swallowed them  -  if so, "would they have found their way to her hand, and all gone the same way?"  The mother says she is sure she never did swallow them.  The needles are very black, but not rusty  -  some are large stocking needles.  

"I should like to know what you think of so (to me) an mysterious affair."

*

I can't find scram'd, scramed in any of my dictionaries.    Its meaning would seem to be stiffness rather than contraction.  It would seem the word was well used, maybe still is, as a dialect word in Devon.

The whole story seems preposterous but there must have been some substance to it.  If it had been April the first not January one might dismiss it outright.

This letter, however,  demonstrates again how persistent in Devon was the belief in witchcraft, black and white.  I find it fascinating that the good folk of Topsham in 1842 believed this young woman had been 'overlooked',  which word here means 'looked upon with the evil-eye,  bewitched,  - and therefore could best be cured by a 'wise man'.  What's more, 'the good folk' knew where there was such a wise man,  Mr. Fouracres, albeit superannuated, in Budleigh Salterton who could 'do the wonderful',  - a long way to go for an uncertain cure.

As for the ninety-five needles in the young lady's hand,  black but not rusty, and the few more in her arm, they are to me, as they were to The Times' correspondent,  'so an mysterious affair'.