the old superstitious:
He has got a turn through the reek. (Gaelic).Obscure Proverbs
Reek—i.e., smoke.
This saying refers to the old superstitious practice of placing a newly christened child into a basket and passing him over a fire to protect him against the power of evil spirits.
Curiosities in Proverbs/Dwight Edwards Marvin
Bartleby
