s magical aspect. The rag, once
in contact with the patient, transferred his disease to the tree, or,
being still subtly connected with him, through it the healing properties
passed over to him.

The offering thrown into the well--a pin, coin, etc., may also have this
double aspect. The sore is often pricked or rubbed with the pin as if to
transfer the disease to the well, and if picked up by another person,
the disease may pass to him. This is also true of the coin.[649] But
other examples show the sacrificial nature of the pin or other trifle,
which is probably symbolic or a survival of a more costly offering. In
some cases it is thought that those who do not leave it at the well from
which they have drunk will die of thirst, and where a coin is offered it
is often supposed to disappear, being taken by the spirit of the
well.[650] The coin has clearly the nature of an offering, and sometimes
it must be of gold or silver, while the antiquity of the custom on
Celtic ground is seen by the classical descriptions of the coins
glittering in the pool of Clitumnus and of the "gold of Toulouse" hid in
sacred tanks.[651] It is also an old and widespread belief that all
water belongs to some divine or monstrous guardian, who will not part
with any of it without a _quid pro quo_. In many cases the two rites of
rag and pin are not both used, and this may show that originally they
had the same purpose--magical or sacrificial, or perhaps both. Other
sacrifices were also made--an animal, food, or an _ex voto_, the last
occurring even in late survivals as at S. Thenew's Well, Glasgow, where
even in the eighteenth century tin cut to represent the diseased member
was placed on the tree, or at S. Winifred's Well in Wales, where
crutches were left.

Certain waters had the power of ejecting the demon of madness. Besides
drinking, the patient was thrown into the waters, the shock being
intended to drive the demon away, as elsewhere demons are exorcised by
flagellation or beating. The divinity of the waters aided the process,
and an offering was usually made to him. In other cases the sacred
waters were supposed to ward off disease from the district or from those
who drank of them. Or, again, they had the power of conferring
fertility. Women made pilgrimages to wells, drank or bathed in the
waters, implored the spirit or saint to grant them offspring, and made a
due offering.[652] Spirit or saint, by a transfer of his power, produced
fruit