Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-03-24
IF HE MUST DIE HE MUST DIE
The Ignorant Turk Leaves Result of
Sickness to Fate

l
Sickness to Fate.
One of the most important features
of American missionary effort in Tur.
key is the work done by American phy.
sicians in overcoming the superstition
and prejudices that are almost uniyer.
sal in the country regarding the cause
and treatment of disease.
The popular belief on the whole SUBJ
| ject may be summed up thus: The
cause of disease is Gods will, the proper
treatment of disease is to let it alone,
since meddling with it shows distrust
in Gods wise government
Thus, if Turk has smallpox he goes
TO bed and waits to see whether he is to
die or live. And his family and friends
would think it unworthy of good Mos
lem to shun the sick man or to set him
| apart; II others are to take the disease,
well and good, it is so ordered.
There are thousands of villages in
Asia Minor where there is no one who
even makes pretense of thorough medi-
cal knowledge. the whole business of
healing the sick being left to the wom-
en-, with their herbs and balsams, and to
fate.
A physician in Turkey finds working
against him not only this discouraging
conviction of the people that whatever
is must be, but their oft-proved prefer
ence for talismans and superstitious
practices to any medicines he can give
them. How can one deal scientifically
with people who regard this as the
proper way to treat baby suffering
with anything, from Group to stomach
ache:
First get hens egg, then make seven
round holes in the shell, and empty out
the contents through these holes. Then
dip the perforated egg shell under
water, and lift it quickly over basin,
so that the water il holds will stream
into the basin. Repeat this operation
80 times, until the basin has received 40
shellsful of water streamed through the
seven holes. Finally wash the sick baby
in the basin thus filed, and there is
nothing more to be done.
And consider the following treatment
for boils, which is much in vogue among
adults: A man afflicted with Jobs COM
forters starts confidently down the
road, flinging over his shoulder nuts or
II isins, and never looking behind him.
though the city burn down. His belief
is that whoever picks up one of the nuts
or raisins from the roadway will take
with ii one of his boils.
The missionary doctors in Turkey
find another serious obstacle to their
efforts against contagion in the method
of distributing the water to the various
houses that is in operation in many
cities and villages. The water supply
usually comes from a spring or stream
on high ground near the city, and this
water, when needed in one section or
another. is simply turned down this
street or that, its course being regulat-
ed by temporary dams, and for hours It
will flow down certain set of streets.
and is at the disposition of residents in
that vicinity. Some hasten to wash
their clothes in il. others fill earthen
jars with il, while those who have wells
direct part of it into their mouths,
which are set on the pavement covered
with fiat stones.
Ignorant as the people of Turkey are
regarding the nature and treatment of
disease, and superstitious and foolish
as they have been, they are. neverthe-
less. learning after years of practical
demonstration that there is no such |
talisman against bodily ills as knowl-
edge, and they are trusting themselves
and their children more and more to the |
American doctors and those of the ma |
tives who are qualified TO practice medi- !
cine. The only trouble is that there ale |
10000 people who need help for ono p'E |
sician who is able to give it.-Boston |
Globe