Are You Sick? How to Beat the Evil Eye

From THE MERIT OF OUR MOTHERS: A BILINGUAL ANTHOLOGY OF JEWISH WOMEN’S PRAYERS (Hebrew Union College Press, Cincinnati, 1992, $16.95) come these 19th century instructions:

Extinguishing Coals as an Incantation Against the Ayin Hare [evil eye]:

The sick person should inhale the fumes from nine different colors of woolen clothing and should extinguish the glowing coals in fresh water three times, count backwards from nine to one, and wash the face and both pulses of the heart Then, he should drink three times from the water which was used to extinguish the coals and scatter the coals to the four corners of the room. The remaining water should be poured out the door leading to the outside of the house. Hashem yisborekh [God] will surely send a complete healing.