Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-07-10
SLAP DOCTORS"
A CURIOUS SUPERSTITION AMONG
WASHINGTON NEGROES
Stories Told OF the Colored Dwellers in the
Capital Horror Of the Black Man
for Medical Colleges
and Students
Washing on Cor. Brooklyn Eagle.

washing on Cor Brooklyn Eagle
The slap doctor" scare among the
Washington negroes has assumed such q
serious aspect that the authorities think of
taking the matter in hand. The dense
negro population in the national capital
contains many ignorant persons. who
faithfully believe in the virtue of voudoo
doctors, fortune tellers, haunted houses
and conjurers Some of them are even
more credulous and superstitious than the
Sandwich islanders, who read their fate
in the phosphorescent CLEAN of the rolling
breakers. OF see hosts of uncanny spirits
trooping along the white sea beach in the
weird. half tropical moonlight Of that
charming region The superstitious
Washington negro regards the medical
student with holy horror. and looks upon
the dissecting room Of a medical college
as charnel house, where human be-
ings are killed after being captured by
the dreaded slap doctor, and their bodies
given 10 the students for dissection. They
believe nearly all the @stitis" used during
the college season are the mortal remains
Of luckless colored people who were kid.
mapped on dark and rainy nights by the
terrible slap doctors" and sold to the
colleges The Eagle correspondent asked
a negro messenger in one OF the depart.
ments il he had ever seen slap doctor
mo, sab, he replied, but has often
hearn tell OBJ EN- Dey wears a long
black cloak an mask ober der faces. DE
slsps on y goes out on rainy mites, when
IL is rs dark rs charcoal Ley carry
stickin' plaster an when dey ketch you
dey sap de plaster ober your mouf so you
cant hnllar La, AaKs nd A., axf
thing youse in a wagon trabbelin' fer de
medical college like a coon 'scaping from
pack oh hungry hounds. Dere's no
tellin how menny hard workin'. homes
cullud men has bin killed by dem muir.
derin' slap doctors"
This feeling has been so wrought up
among the ignorant blacks that IL is un.
safe for a physician to visit certain sec.
tons of The city. An incident of recent
occurrence will illustrate the extent Of the
feeling referred 10. A colored man who
was lying in a hoyel in Browns alley,
suffering from complication Of dis.
orders. aggravated by the attentions he
had recei, ed from negro herb or youdoo
doctor was finally compelled TO summon
a reputable white physician. The latter
visited the sick man and informed him
that in order 10 save his life he would
have to endure an operation which called
for some cutting with instruments The
negro acquiesced, and the medical man
summoned several brother physicians TO
witness the operation and assist him IL
necessary
When the time 10 perform the delicate
surgical WORK arrived, four physicians
drove up to the shanty In their carriages,
and entering the dingy place proceeded TO
work The wife OF the sick man wit
messed the trst cut Of the lancet. aud saw
the blood fly. This terrified her and she
Immediately went out into the alley,
which is populated by very ignorant ne.
groes. and spread the alarming report that
de slap doctors are in dar cuttin' up my
poo husband A large crowd soon as.
sembled about the place and shouted,
ct dat man alone OF we will mob yer.
They finally made demonstration with
stones and clubs. and the physicians were
compelled 10 beat hasty retreat. with
two policemen bringing up the rear. The
operation was not finished aud the sick
man died the following dag. The physl.
clans say, had they been allowed TO finish
the operation, the man would have re.
covered
Another case was that Of colored
woman who became insane on the sub ect
and was found wandering about in the
woods 10 the suburbs Of Washington by
the police She was placed in cell, and
for nearly tweniy.f0ur hours howled like
q wild beast at intervals bcseeohing the
officers 10 protect her from the slap doc.
tors. who wanted 10 grind her up and
make castor oil Of her pulyeriyed remains
The juvenile negroes stand In mortal
dread 81 the terrible doctors and their
mouth pastors. and IL is only necessary
TO yell slap doctor" at one Of them si
night. or even in the daytime, to throw
him into spasln, or make him Guido the
best Time ever made by a race horse.
Lately the tricky voudoos who infest this
section have made IN oh money by sell
ing charms TO the superstilious. which they
aliegc viii protect the wearer from the
wilcs Of The tricky night doctors The
! principal charm for this purpose IL Q
string Of beads 10 be worn around tho
neck. They charge IS for the beads aud
claim that they are made Of iufauts bones
saturated 10 the oil Of tree toads and
horned lizards.