San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1892-05-27
PHYSIC IN MANY LANDS.
TERRIBLE REMEDIES USED BY
THE HEATHEN.
Doctors Who Risk Their Lives to Relieve
the Pains OF Barbarians - The
Fatal Treatment OF NIoa-
slcs in India.

slcs in India.
IN ona of the central provinces of
india not long ago measles broke out
among the natives shortly after the
arrival Of two women missionaries
from America. Children were soon
dying ir such numbers that the mis-
sionaries wished they had learned
something aboat medicine before they
came. They knew however that
children with measles should be kept
warm and not allowed 10 run any risk
of catching cold. The mortality
caused by so simple a disease as they
had known it. astounded them ana
they made inquiries as to how the lit
tie patients were treated 1t was in
the rainy season and they found that
these poor people thought the best
way to cure measles was to strip the
babies perfectly naked and hold them
out in the cold rain till the water
should wash all the measles eruption
of the skin. No wonder they died.
A fatal chill struck the frail feyered
little body. and the mother could only
moan and beat herself in despair.
In Siam. when one falls sick. the
octor's diagnosis OF the disease is n
serious matter. He generally comes
with his mind fully made up that the
patient is possessed Of an evil spirit
To find Just where this evil spirit lies I
is the diagnosis. The doctor takes a /
tigers tooth from his pouch. The tooth 1
is long canine one sharpened to nee
die point This he jabs into the sick
man in various spots. II the sick
man yells with pain more loudly when
he is punctured hero than he does I
when he is puncturel there. then the |
evil one turks here Preparations are
made to drive him out but generally /
the patient spirit deserts the tortured /
body before the imaginary one.
In Africa young missionary who /
went out from this city some time |
ago, says the New York Tribune pen
etrated far into the interior where no /
white man had ever been seen before.
The tribe mad curious tradition that !
some day q white man would come TO /
them and do wonderful things for |
them So they built 4 hut the best /
kind they knew how to construct. to
have it ready for the pale-face when
he should arrive. When this ardent
Young American suddenly appeared /
one day they welcomed him with open
arms To say that he was surprised
is putting it mildly The same day !
two women came to him each with a
child in her arms, and besought him
to cure them. He looked at the ba-
bies and found they were dead. He
told them he could do nothing Tor
dead babes and thereby at once fell
off considerably in their estimation.
He asked whas had been done for tho
children. and was told that their
bodies had been scored with sharp
stones 70 let the evil spirit out. He
counted on one little body 400 cuts
and then +here were more. These
mothers love their children passion
ately. Fancy what pain they under
went while iutiieting agony on their
babies in the vain hope Of doing them
good.
How terribio is the condition of SUI
fering women il India the following
extract viii show. It is from letter
written by Miss Emma ]. Cummings.
NJ d.. medical missionary in that
country. She says;
4 shall never forget q wish I
could) one experience that I had l
was called up at midnight 10 see a
woman in the last stages OF fever l
found her tossing and muttering in Il
delirium that ran into 4 stupor and
then death. l did what I could te
make her comfortable bathing the
hot skin and moistening the parched
lips. etc. but it WAS too late. No
sooner did her friends learn that
death was near than neighboIs began
to swarm in, until the miserable hut
had twenty or thirty in it all rieing
with each other in groaning. shrek
ing, shifting the chests and scream
ing.
In vain Ishowed them that the noise
WINS torture 10 her poor brain. and
that her head began to roll from side
10 side again. ! could not keep them
even from throwing themselves full
weight upon he rpoor chest laboring
harder and harder 10 give her breath,
and when / wanted to give her q few
dre5s of medicine. but failed because
the jaws were already set l turned
cold and IA Mt 70 see her own mother
strike her TO compel her to swallow
I saw that / could do no good and as
the strain was TOO severe to be borne (
/ left her two hours be-
fore she died, but the scene haunted
me for months
In some parts OF India it is be-
lieVed that a woman dying from a Ger
tain complaint desccnds into the under
world TO be slave TO monster whose
tormenis she Is driven in vain to re-
lieFe, and that she loses her chance
Of reaching womau's paradise. i. e,
tenanting. the body OF man. after
passing through some millions OF ami
mails. Do you wonder that many COM
nit suicide to end such miserable
lives? May God. in his mercy excite
your pity for them. As you read these
things and shudder they suffer them
and perish
Some idea OF the manner in which
luuaties are treated may be gained
from the following thrilling narrative.
Mrs. Peoples writing from Siam, says:
Two OF their number became
crazy, and as was their superstitious
custom. they We're tied up for a time
but as they grew no better thcy were
taken out ard buried alive. in spite
Of their cries and pleading There
are thousands and thousands bound in
Just such horrible superstitions all