By JANE TOMEK

The mountains of Rabun Gap, Georgia, contain certain relics ‑ the Appalachian mountain folk, whose isolation from modern society has made their lifestyle foreign to ours. Their book learning is experiencing raw life; their castles are log cabins. They raise hogs, assure "moonshining is a fine art," and put great faith in their own home remedies.

And the mountain folks' home remedies are precious. Almost as old as the mountains themselves, the remedies are a heritage of a vanishing race. Modern medics call the remedies hogwash, as some are dangerous, others totally useless. Just the same, the remedies are not to be laughed at. They have been curing mountain folk for generations.

With their only television screen being the horizon, the mountain folk have invented some pretty imaginative remedies. Swallowing a handful of spider webs rolled in a ball should cure asthma, so should keeping a chihuahua in the house.

Wearing a flannel shirt, with turpentine and lard rubbed into it, during the winter should prevent chest congestion. Blowing on a burn will draw out the heat but only if the person has never seen his father. Turning one's shoes upside down before going to bed should cure foot cramps.

Many of the remedies were invented in the kitchens, with their ingredients coming directly from the cabinets or the stills. One teaspoon of peanut butter should cure the hiccups. A syrup made from a large amount of rock candy and a small amount of whiskey should cure chest congestion, while drinking whiskey and honey or eating onions roasted in ashes should cure a cold.

Placing crushed onions on one's forehead will stop a headache. Given a tea made from violet blossoms, a grouchy person will bloom into happiness. The itch will be taken from poison ivy if the sufferer slices open a green tomato and runs the juice over the infected area.

Other remedies may be just myth, but with a little luck (and maybe a lot of moonshine) they will work better than any medicine. Lying down with a dime on one's heart or with a scissors on one's neck, pointing toward the face, should cure a nosebleed.

Sleeping with a Bible under one's pillow will prevent nightmares. A sock that has been worn inside out while working in it for a week can cure a sore throat, if tied around the sufferer's neck.

The remedies of the mountain folk are far from being scientific. Yet the mountain folk have discovered a tiny, but essential ingredient that science has not: a little faith and a little humor can cure anything.