The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-01-13
Misttllaneons.
vcndouism in New Orleans.


II would be a matter Of surprise To many
OF our readers Who conlinc themselves TO
,hc society Of The wc.l informed aud intel.
lgcni. to learn by actual experience 10
What an extent the Nouduu superstition j.
believed in hy large class cf our popula.
iion. This Fe,ishsm ~ serpent worship
exercises its baneIul influence not only over
the coorcd population. but every day fur.
nishes evidence that 1t finds numerous ~.
perstitious followers IN the foreign pOpula.
iion Of our city. Witchcraft has not yet
died out. and incantations. the worship Of
devils, and the mummcry and magic Of Two
hundred wears ago still hero 10 cur mids,
hold their actual sway.
\ shor; time since We had the opportu.
nifty afforded Us. in COMPANY with a medical
friend. Of visiting two patients who had un.
dcrgonc the Ncudou treatment. Tho first
was an Italian woman, whom Ne found &C.
cupyiuc "a room hung with pictures of the
saints aud apostles. Her general appear.
aucc was ghastlv and cadavcrous. There
was fixed look Of terror in her eyes and
an irresolute movement about her hands
and arms. Her face was hopeless and mel.
ancholy. ard altogether her appearance lef,
the impression that her mind had been nf.
fected \ year ago she stated that che en-.
loved remarkable health. At that timo she
had ,iolcu, quarrel with a neighbor II
was 10 her maliguan, influence that sho at.
irihuied the loss OF her health but could
iud no immediate rcason for thinking SO
beyond the discovery Of bundle Of parti
cOlored rags. chicken claws. &c. hid away
in her pillow. She became subject 10 faint.
ing fits and spasms. The usual remedies
had been applied hut failed in afior,ling any
relief \ cOlorcd doctor was called ~ wh0
applied some substance 10 her head which
so matted the hair that il was ever after.
ward impossible 10 be combcd. The faint.
ing fits had left her. she stated after the ap.
plication of the remedy but hcr cOnstiiu.
ton. from whatever cause. was evidently
affected for life The other case was that
OF a Spanish girl. who was subject 10 the
attacks of the same nature. Several ply.
scans had been called in. in the early sta.
yes of her sickness among whom was the
doctor Who accompanied none of whom
could afford her any relief or so much ns TO
produce sleep.
by some means. orat somebody's suggcs.
iiOn, u NOudoT doctor Vas introduced, who
declared that the girl would never recover
so long as she remained with her mother
II was necessary that she should go away
that she should live at the house of male
rclaiiyc--a man who inspired her with hor.
ror. and whom she had never been. hither.
10. willing 10 see She did NJ she was III.
rccted. aud had most of tho time since lived
with him. The only apparent remedy Gu.
ployed was TO sprinkle the yard lioining
the house with white powder. Her sick.
ness. meanwhile. had left her. Oncc or
twice -he had gone back 10 her mothers.
bnt disease had soon compelled her To re-.
turn.
Her conversation awakened many obyi.
Gus suspicious, but We were credibly in.
formed that there was no question whatev.
er about her former dangerous illness.
Before we left. the negro medicine man
or devil who attended her. made his ap.
pearance. We once OF twice endeayored
10 increase our information by questions
addressed 10 him. hut were not remarkably
successful. Africa was the land Of his na.
iivity. h. stated. but hc had been here since
ls2s. lie praciiceJ his profession as il had
been taught him IN his native land. His
treatment was entirely with herbs aud sim.
plr,. Tie put ~ a modest denial ~ 20 the
use of any magic rites peculiar 90 his race.
but declined imparting any hints rs TO what
his exact remedies were. Dressed in q suit Of
black, with ahcavy gold chain hanging from
his neck, his appearance was sufficiently re-.
spyctable. Save for decidedly foreign NC.
cent, the appearance Of tattoo marks still
upon his face, and eat.like. waichTul ex.
preston OF cOuntenancc. his appearance
was IN no respect out Of the usual way
N'a' orleans star.