Necklace to protect from sore throats, London, England, 1914

Made:
1914 in Acton
Necklet to cure throats, Acton, London, England, 1914

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Necklet to cure throats, Acton, London, England, 1914
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Necklet to cure throats, Acton, London, England, 1914

Amulets and charms worn or carried to prevent and cure illnesses are found in virtually every culture throughout the world. This necklace, which was supposed to protect the wearer from ‘sore throats’, was bought in Acton, London, in the early years of the twentieth century. It may well have been brought for a child and the reference to ‘sore throats’ may refer to diphtheria which was then a highly dangerous and greatly feared disease of childhood.

The use of such amulets was often strongest in poorer communities, whose access to more conventional healthcare could be limited and whose ancestral links to folk medicine were stronger.

Details

Category:
Ethnography and Folk Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A630902
Materials:
glass, various colours and clasp, brass
type:
amulet and necklace
credit:
Lovett, E.