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Word: espanto (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
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Usage:

...cure children of espanto (nightmares caused by fright), the bruja uses a kind of primitive shock treatment. The child is set in front of a container of water in which bougainvillea blossoms-or some other red flowers-are floating. When the child's attention is caught by the flowers, a relative squirts a mouthful of alcohol on the back of the child's neck, and the bruja claps a red cloth over its head. The treatment for clubfoot is simpler: the curandera rubs the afflicted foot with gourds filled with "magical" water containing wine and vinegar...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: MEXICO: Medicinal Magic | 10/1/1951 | See Source »

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