This ancient cabalistic word was believed to ward off ague, which is a recurring fever accompanied by bouts of chills and sweating, and flux, which is the discharge of large amounts of a fluid from a cavity or surface of the body. Charming terms, both.
Abracadabra might be most welcome if it could bring any relief from such nasty conditions!
It's easy to see how such a word found its way into other examples of magic and magical thinking throughout the ages.
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