Over the years we've heard from several readers who have shared stories of being healed by people who are sometimes referred to as "charmers." In particular, we are often regaled with tales of seemingly ordinary people who are said to have the ability to "charm away" warts. We recently revisited this topic in Downhome ("Their Mysterious Ways," October 2012 issue) inspiring reader Austin Elliott of Mount Pearl to call us with his own story of being healed. Click the play button on the audio file below to listen to what Austin had to say on our toll-free submission phone line.



The following are similar stories told to us by readers over the years:

“Around the late 40s I guess, or early 50s, both of my hands were covered with warts. I would have been 10 or 11. We had tried all the old-fashioned remedies, like rub some pork on the warts and throw it over your left shoulder and bury it in the ground. Beans was another method: You’d count the number of warts on your hands and take the beans and put them in a matchbox and bury the matchbox and the warts would go away. Anyway, nothing worked. So my mother knew about Mr. MacDonald, the healing hands of Mr. MacDonald. So one day she said to me, ‘My son when Mr. MacDonald comes to our house again, I’m going to get him to cure your warts.’ So lo and behold, one day Mr. MacDonald came to the house and she was telling him about my warts and of course he could see them just by looking – they were everywhere, I mean everywhere, lots of them – they were as plentiful as raspberries. So he said, ‘Ok come with me my son.'...I remember going out on the back step and he said, ‘Let me see your hands,’ and he had like this white powder and he rubbed the white powder over both of my hands and then he said, ‘I want you to forget about the warts.’ And I forgot about the warts and perhaps 10 or 12 days later I looked at my hands and they were just like they are today.” – Greg White, St. John's, N.L.

"I grew up in Deer Lake and I remember around the early '50s, when I would have been nine or 10, both my hands were covered in warts. One evening a friend of my dad (his name I can't remember) came to visit. Dad happened to mention to him my problem with warts. This gentleman told me to count the warts and then forget about them. A week or so later the warts had completely disappeared and never returned." – Karl Janes, Newmarket, O.N.

And in this instance, it seems, a reader stumbled upon a "cure" himself!

"Many years ago, when I was 17, I had warts on both my hands and tried everything. At this particular time I was pumping gas at the old Fort Motel gas bar on the TCH just outside St. John's to help pay for my first year at MUN. While sitting idle at the desk inside, I had a pen in my hand and drew a circle around every wart I had. As I drew each circle around the warts, I also drew a circle on a sheet of paper towel. Since I was a smoker, I also had a lighter on the desk, so I set fire to the paper towel and let it burn in the ashtray. A few days later, lo and behold, every wart was gone! Neat eh? Anyone with warts might like to try it. It sure worked for me." – Glenn Curtis, Clifton Royal, N.B.

Have you had a similar experience? Leave a comment on this article or share your story on our toll-free submission phone line by calling 1-866-640-1999.