New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-03

DclbN6l 10 De q rather handsome remuneration.
Furthermore she declared the medicine was tien
ddageretse. thai could not it without nstruc-
tons. and that could not find "the plant"
knew there were at least four ingredients in the
preparation; but the color and odor at least were
not due TO any very Unfamiliar Simples.
The second remedy very simple for
inflammation or congestion OF the eyes and
told me- by an old colored woman who hal the repu-
taton of being You1Oo, but whom | never
suspected of belonging 20 that coniraternity. She
able to comprehend the interest felt IN Creole
folklore, and collected foe mo nunher oflittle
songs and proverbs IN the p ttois. Her recipe
ths "Take fresh Creole egg eSg laid in
louisiana separate the yolk carefully from the
white. and then beat up the white into light, fine
foam Then take strip of cotton or linen about
six eight inches wide fOla mp tho egg foam III it
to form a catapasn wide enough to cover
both eyes. and 90 20 bed With the c1taplasm we'll
attached by knottng the ends OF the linen cotton
folds about the head" This simple egg pouticc,
tins left to dry uDon tho eys, proved in ms case
remarkably eticacious. although l cannot imagine
that theie is special virtue in albumen. must
also state that | recommended tho cataplasm with
good results i'll instances whore hot or cold COM
presses had failed. for some reason or other. to
reduce in lamhation.
The reluctance of the Negroes who prepared me
the potion above referred either to sell give
away the secret found to be shared 10y most of the
ooored people from whom | attempted 10 procure
the same kind Of information. 1t is really only the
Creole gentleman or lady. accustomed to command
this class, and habtuated t1 their habits aud
beliefs, who can obtain their absolute confidence
III such matters. The greater number of tho recipes
cited in this article | conld not have obtained but
for tho aid of Creole friends; and | avn especially
indebted TO scholarly Spanish physc an, DIR.
Roiolfo Matas now president of tho New-Oreans
Medical Associations for many valuable facts and
suggestions. lie called my attention to the fact
that patient scientific inquirer might discover
under the fantastic surface of Creole empIiicsm
material of larger medical inheritance than that
which formed the pharmacOpcia of those Oil
Arabian pharmacists and practitioners whose
treatses have only been carefully studied by
Europeans v thin tho last few years. or course
such investigations would demand uncommon
knowledge of sub-tropcal dora, and years OF
practical study i'll Louisiana and the Antilles.
MANY prescriptions given To me and II I'm possible
to utilize for thus article. simply because the names
of the h"rbs gwen IN Creole or IN African terms
only, for winch l can find no English or scientific
AS my Spanish friend pointed ont to me. the
whole of this empirical home medicine may he
classed under three heads: l. Smplcs. or vegetable
| remedies: = Remedies into whose preparation
animal substances enter; imaginative heulclhc'
! consisting less IN actual Curative methods than III
| practices. semi p,iigOus and semi-superNtltlouS
the Magic OF tne Blacks, African In ITS origin, yet
queeIly blended with ideas borrowed from Cath"l-
clsn AMI distorted grOtesluely IA The DOCIO wing.
| This last division deserves attention IN spcclal
| article; and | cannot attempt 10 treat 1t ~ the
| present essay. NJ the other divisions the hrst Is
| Jar the larger and moIo hygienicdliy interesting;
| il is much moro extensive than tine samples dn
able cite give any idea Of aud to do 1t justice
| would require an exhaustive knpWledR' Oh
| Louisiana botany, especially knOwiedge pl our
Tsnnes or those preparatIons classified by our
uilI, 20 d
| iniusions of medicinal herbs obtained 10y boiling
the leaves occupy larger place 10 Cie'ie med
| cine than do the tsanes recognized by English or
| American phaTm1ceutlcal science ~ worthy ot
classification IN dspcnsatores. There ale LundreIS
| OF them. arc too familiar 20 necd more Than
an allusiOn,-such "a the orange leai, lemon ItAi
and sassal r.Is teas. Mo pas b"i dthc ppu heye II
um not going 10 drink tea tor his leverl IS Creole
proverD referring. not 10 tea proper Whlch is hr
favorte beverage with our native French-sPcakiag
| population but Ia those warm herb inin'i"us
| administered IN fever. Tho following recipes are
among the most interesting in the httle collection
have been able To make OF Creole mcilcine brIpbS-
inc 10 the first and second divisnns of the subject
Chliis aud Fever For TINS familiar disorder
! several queer isaues are recommended: /. lea
| prepared with tine l~Ives of the pimento ipopper
pantJ: .. thick black cOilen ming led with fresh
| lemon mice to bo taken lhrce times day Is
snake root lserpeatUiGJ III whskcy-l do not know
how strCnl the iniusl"n is made; H. tea made rom
the leaves of the niier- bIiarG' Dyri'd GficI a
small cuDiul To he swallowed three times a day Ia
addition TO these hot drinks altcinated sometimes
win tTalgnis OF clafot sPiced beer. well heated
the patIeat may Uc Orleed TO pat cayenne pepper
in h- shoes every day for nine daIs. La tue
absence o( uin ne or other tccoRutZed febriiugs-
of the above remedies are not To be scoitc at
The plant CARED bv Creolrs the cricr b1i0ri has
moreover. bcSn utilized III various ways hy rc2ni'f
medical science. OAIus t. It's a,trugent qualities.
It's TIC properties are san 10 have ltilEln{
eject upon tho air Of the swamps which II loves.
In North America its geographical range ext nus
from Louisiana to Grceaiand me io"is "i tue
Uici contain much tanuin that they can be
utilized with great success III TIE manufacture oil
INK.
But the most interesting fact con tanned in the
above samples Oi euPir,c.sm il the mention OF
lrinuu-nicc. Lr.uon-u remedy for certain
forms OF lever was Known T. the CTc"l's i'nt
b,loro iomassD trndelll discovered thc Ted on oi
IFS value. and advocated il. use ~ the ~'nai
regions Of HAY only at the last meeting al the
International Medical tO4Sie,S held at open
hagen. tc d.scOycrer OF The avHHs mt'ri strongly
recommended tie planting OF ma aral regions "Iih
lemon trees. and addressed the learned % hY with
Inuch success on tao merits Of lem0n-uce ~ "a
Cone considered fcbrifugo in the domestic
medicine oil most hot countries, is administered
LARGELY typhoid lever; but the IN uboh - ma r
with ito g.oem berries IN whskcy. u dose three
times ddy.' 10 alleviate the cerebral 81 PtoIn,,
q live pigeon is cut open and the warm bleeding
surfaces applied 10 the head
leaN IS oI the lettuce l3'thcgrantl are boiled 10
form a tea said t. bo ycrY cit, lent IN ca.rs Ii
alreplcssneSs This lett lce-loaf TO! II administered
in large quantities before ng 80 bed.
Ceranum-leAi tea. 4 e.ishNnIy fragrant beVer-
age Is frequently given rs remedy Tor nausrJ.
The interior OF fowls gizzlrd, boiled with Tea Is
A col in tnc head is treated in many ways. aud
also has It's own special uslne,-h SORT oil CcirrJ-
leaf tea The ira ~ SVreedct WltI honey. AMI a
lew drops Of pdTeIuriC are USUALLY AT 81 Among
o. her remedies | may mention doses OF castor oil
warmed with Iaoidss's; al-O r"aaicd onions, wtih
mola~ses AMI butter, 20 10 swallowed bci0tc
retiring: aud finally. girg ma lc with olive OIL
honey vinegar and "A HUE Tarcg nc.
Do oil leaves the honey suctic are said to make
excellent safsle Tor sore throat IasIei-Iri'e'
In vinegar are also used rXteri0rlv. Another cX-
terror application consists OF whitc 0hinh Ip"sird
in tho cmbcrs. then cmJ IN bali, ana each hh!l
applied To the ucCK until cold ms Operations IS
rtpcaie thee times each night
The honey suckIe liOpic@a caDrIo'ih@l IL known
t. medical practice. Tho Oppressed luice % tho
liant has long been recommended - - remedy Tor !
Inc stiugs OF bees or waspstO he rubte ed into he