The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-08-23
THE MANcHiNEEL.
The Poisonous Plant of the Bahamas and
It's Use by the Medicine Men.

The West Indies abound with shrubs
and plants of medicinal properties. not
a few of them being highly poisonous.
writes Mrs. Blake in the Nineteenth
Century, and in the use of these the
obeah men are proficient. In most OF
the islands the manchineel(h (hippomane)
grows in. more or less abundance. The
tree is so poisonous that it is not con-
sidered safe to take refuge from the
sun or storm beneath its branches,
and when it is desirable to destroy the
tree it is usual to make Il circle of fire
around the trunk and burn it down,
so as to avoid the risk of cutting it.
Not infrequently leaves and branches
of manchineel have been vindictively
dropped into tanks or wells of those
against whom certain persons may
have a grudge. Anyone who drinks
water thus contaminated will, it is said,
gradually waste away, and if the use
of the water is continued death is the
result. So poisonous is the manchineel
that during very dry weather it is not
| safe to eat the land crabs. which, at
other seasons, are reckoned delicacies.
However, during drought land era bs
can not resist salad of the shining ever
| green leaves, rather like those of the
| canfellia in appearance. The flesh OF
crabs that have fed on this tree be-
comes impregnated with the poison.
In proof of the danger of the diet we
are told the following story: Notv very
| long ago two men went on shooting
expedition to one of the Bahama group
| known as Acklin's island. One day
three land crabs were caught which
| So. oh
man taking a crab and sharing the
| other between them. During the night
one of the men was taken alarmingly
| ill, his body swelled tremendously, and
before morning he was dead. His
companion experienced no i'll effects;
! it therefore seems probable that one of
the three crabs must have been poison
Gus, but on remote tropical island
some two or three hundred miles from
a doctor a post-mortem examination
would be impossible, and no positive
certainty could be arrived at As the
poisons used by the cbeall men are vege-
table and can be gathered everywhere
in the bush, and as the negroes are ex-
tremely averse to speaking on the sub
iect, it is difficult to obtain positive
| evidence about the matter, but there
seems very general belief in the
West Indies among those whose opinion
is worthy of respect, that the process
of putting obeah' upon a man is not
always purely spiritual weapon.
The reliance on the powers fthe bush
| doctor is almost universal among the
black people, who greatly prefer him
to the authorized practitioner. In some
cases the remedies prescribed are sim
pie. if not efficacious. A dose of sea
water is considered beneficial to 8
broken arm, and to hold salt in botf
hands is reckoned certain remedy fol
various ills to which flesh is liable, anG
is also held to be of use in warding of
ghostly enemies in the shape of evi
spirits. Singularly enough, | have
known the same shield against tht
power of darkness used by peasants il
the west of Ireland.
1t is common, when the bush-docto
is consulted. for him to announce tina
the patient is suffering from an ailmen
caused by the presence of beetle or &
spider in one of the limbs. The doctor
proceeds to extract the intruder by
: sucking the affected limb, producing
= the creature from his mouth at the enc
: of the operation in proof of his efficacy
Spools of cotton, buttons, nails and sc
forth are sometimes alleged to be tn,
cause of the illness, and are extracted
, in similar fashion, In his character
as wizard the obeah-man is in reques
: to guard the crops of pineapples o
oranges from the hands of the spoiler
the ships from storm and shipwreck
and the crew from death and disaster
!, Not a schooner leaves the port but ha
bit of obeah attached for good lucl
J to the mast, while beneath their shirt
string of charmed twine preserves
the men from danger by land ant
water. Vacant houses are also pro
tected from intruders during the own
er's absence by the obeah-man. T.
effect this police duty, !, ball is role,
/ up containing a few rusty old nail
and some pieces of rushes, and laid OIL
, the threshold of the cabin; on seein!
this mysterious ball. no negro dares t,
enter the house unlawfully A rudel,
carved head, fastened on tree, is
secure guardian for cocoanut or orang
grove, while horn with cork on i
stuck full of pins and bottle of waite
underneath is favorite protection
against thieves or spirits. 1t would b.
a bold evil spirit who would enter tn,
field so guarded; he knows right wei
that the pins would prick him ant
force him to enter the bottle of water
no negro would dream of intrudins
within an enclosure where such bot
tie was displayed. When the obeah
! mans charges are high, or faith i.
weak. occasionally the owner of
farm throws himself ON the good feel
ing of depredators. / have seen
placard fixed to post in field O
maize on which was was painted tn,
polite request: IF you steal the corn
do please leave the blades"