Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-29
DEATH FROM A SPIDER BITE-SU.
PEESTIrfON AMONG NEGROES.
rom he Richmond Times, August l6.l

IRON the Richmond Times, August l6.l
A few days since DR.. WILLIAM II. TAY-
LoR, Of Jefferson Ward-one of the mem
bers Of the Board Of Health-was called up
on 10 visit an infant ofMARTHA SCoTr, who
was reported 10 be very i'll in consequence Of
the bite ola large house spider. The Doc
tor arrived in good time after being sent for,
bat when he got there he found that he was
too late, as the little sufferer must breathe its
last In few hours. The bite was in the
knee, and could doubtless have been cured
without much trouble had a competent phys
ician been sent for in time; but, instead Of
such a course being pursued, the natural
proneness 20 superstition of the negro ruled
the counsels Of the parents and the friends OF
the child, and il was, therefore resolved to
test the relative skill of two Ethiopian sor-
cerers for such the deluded wretehes can
only be termed). Accordingly, messengers
were dispatched, one for Prof SA&ToS, a jet
black astrologist and the other for Prof.
BRowNLow, a negro phrenologist, both so
called" These distinguished life-savers ar
rived amid great pomp, and, with much GER
emory, retired for consultation. As might
be expected, the learned Africans radically
disagreed, each contending that his mode Of
practice was the only one which could save
the patient. They were closeted for two or
three hours--in the mean time the sufferer
was becoming worse-at the end Of which
time thep came forth and announced that
, no compromise could be agreed on, and it
therefore devolved upon the parents TO de-
eide who should have charge Of the matter.
Two factions Immediately sprung up be-
tween the parties present, which we will de-
nominate Conservatives and Radicals. The
Radical crowd favored the astrologer's prin-
ciple, which was that the spider should be
first killed, and then seven kinds of roots
and FIVE kinds Of herbs shOnld be pounded
up and the extract applied TO the bitten part;
while the Conservatives favored, in the most
vehement manner, the catching of the spi-
der and placing it in a glass jar, the cork Of
which should be bored, so as 70 admit air TO
the venomOus insect After most violent
alteration between the factions il was final
ly agreed that the Radical, or herb party,
should take the case in hand; so the other
crowd dispersed "in high dudgeon." The
retained coniurer then set 10 work 10 hunt
up the required herbs, but being unable to
find them as soon as the parents thought he
should, they became uneasy and sent of for
DR.. TAYLOR. The doctor, as before stated,
was not sent for in time, and consequently,
the poison having disseminated through the
system Of the child, rendered il impossible
for the usual remedies 70 act as they other
wise would have done. Upon the death of
the child the advocates of the rejected sys-
TEN became very exultant while those OF
the opposite were crest-fallen and disappoin-
ted. Prof SANToN's reputation as hood
ist" has therefore fallen into dis face, IN
consequence Of his failare to save MARTHAs
little spider-bitten offspring. The above is
but a sample Of similar character which
have recently been reported to US.