, 1885-07-10
SLAP DOCTORS
a CURIOUS SUPERSTITION AMONG
WASHINGTON NEGROES.
Stories Told Of the Co1ored Dwe1lers In ths
CApltai- Horror of the Black Man
for Medical Colleges
and Students.


~ aAAAAAAA RA WI 49,
The SLAP doctor" scare among the
Washington negroes has assumed such a
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 t~ellers, haunted houses
and conjurers. Some of them are even
more credulous and superstitlous than the
Sandwich islanders. who read their fate
In the phosphorescent CLEAN Of the rolling
breakers, or sec 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 a 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 "%stiifsn used during
the college season arc the mortal remains
Of luckless colored people who were kid.
naped on dark and rainy nights by the
terrible ~slap doctors" and sold to the
colleges. The kagle correspondent asked
n negro messenger In one Of the depart
ments II he had ever seen a slap doctor.
mo. sab, " he replied, "but has often
hearn tell oh EN-. Dey wears a long
black cloak an a mask ober der faces. De
slaps only goes out on rainy mites, when
il Is as dark as charcoal Fey carry q
stickin' plaster an when dey ketch you
dcy slap de plaster ober your mouf so you
can holler, den dey ties you and de mex
thing youse in a wagon trabbelin' fer dc
medical college like a coon 'scaping from
n pack oh hungry hounds Dere's nc
tellin' how menny hard workinl. homes
cullud men has bin killed by dem muir
derin slap doctors. 1"
This feeling has been so wrought up
among the ignorant blacks that it is un
safe for n physician to visit certain sec
tions OF the city. An incident OF recent
occurrence will illustrate the extent Of the
feeling referred to. A colorcd man who
was lying In a hovel in Browns alley.
suffering from a complication of dis
orders. aggravated by the attentions he
had recei. ed from a negro herb or voudoo
doctor. was finally compelled TO summon
a reputable white physician. The latter
visited the sick man and informed him
that in order to ave 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 II
necessary.
When the time to 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 first cut Of the lancet, and 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.
LET dat man alone or we will mob yer. y
They finally made a demonstration with
stones aud clubs. and the physicians were
compelled TO beat a hasty retreat. with
two policemen bringing up the rear. The
operation was not finished and the sick
mar died the following day. The physi-
clans say, had they been allowed 10 finish
the operation, the man would have re
covered.
Another case was that of a colored
woman who became insane on the subject
and was found wandering about in the
woods in the suburbs Of Washington by
the police She was placed in a cell. and
for nearly twenty four hours howled like
a wild beast, at intervals beseeching the
officers TO protect her from the slap doc
tors. who wanted to grind her up and
make castor oil of her pulverized remains
The juvenile negroes stand in mortal
dread Of the terrible doctors and their
mouth plasters. and it is only necessary
10 yell @Slap doctor" at one of them at
night. or w in the daytime. to throw
him into spasms or make him Guido the
best time ever made by a race horse.
Lately the tricky voudoos who infest this
section have made m oh money by sell.
ing charms TO the supestitious. which they
allege will protect the wearer from the
wiles Of the tricky night doctors. The
principal charm for This purpose is a
string Of beads TO he worn around the
neck. They charge 50 for the beads. and
claim that they are made Of infants bones
saturated in the oil of tree toads and
horned lizards.