The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
A CASTER-OUT OF DEVILS.
FOR THIRTY YEARS HE HAS HAD
HIS PRACTICE ABOUT READING.

and His Cures-Ehect of n Strong Will.
READING, Pa. April 22.-Thousands OF peo-
ole in East Pennsylvania are familiar with the
witch doctor Of Reading. No matter where he
goes. by day or by night. in carriage or on foot.
PEOPLE look after him and wonder who is his
latest patient. Plain as a farmer. methodical.
reserved. yet determined. and gifted with hard
common sense. the witch doctor goes about his
business. and in all the thirty years OF his prac-
tice he has never been accused OF wrongdoing.
His business thrives.
They only send for me-" said the doctor.
"when the usual medical treatment fails.
Then they come for miles; from all directions.
principally in the country districts. You may
be sure that when I do come to a house the
case I find requires strong measures. II the
sufferer Is a man or woman. boy or girl. II re-
quires heroic attention. II the ordinary medi-
cal aid has failed. and the verdict OF the neigh
bors is that the patient is suffering from
witches. nothing short OF something mirac-
ulous is going to satisfy them. I never tell a
patient right out what I think of the case.
Sometimes I find a young woman upstairs
In a dark room shriekinG that seven
devils are after her. She 10 in q terribly ner-
vous state. pacing up and down the floor.
while her parents are IN terror below. They
have read their Old and New Testaments
faithfully. and they implore me to use my
power to cast out devils or any familiar spirits
that may possess the sufferer. at once put
myself In full communion with these people.
AS they believe. so I believe. I hear their
story. Every symptom is related to me. For
weeks the patient has been acting like one
possessed: no sleep. no appetite. frlghtful
imaGinations. spasms. wasting away. shrieks.
h~ysterfa. epilepsy. lunacy. whatever It may be.
They say she is bewitched.
Il agree with them. I go up to the young
woman. sit down with her. order the light OF
day turned into the room. take her by tho
hands. tell her to be calm, command her firmly,
yet gently. to be quiet. I saw I have come to
cure her: l am the witch doctor. I tell her
that I already know tho evil spirit or demon
that possesses her. and that can certainly drive
1t from her. II she Is strong enough l take her
downstairs and out into the open air. To
pacify her / may utter some strange sounds or
words as I go: make some odd movements:
turn a chair back to the door lay sticks OF wood
In her path; do any odd thing that she sees.
while l say that for the devil. that for the
witch. that for the evil spirit anything that
will strike the patient as a remarkable act or
declaration -something that she has never be-
fore seen or heard.
Il believe in animal magnetism. You see I
am physically strong. I believe In mental con-
troll to a certain extent. 1 find that the I'M
'e@ y = louS vi uCdLncu-
ish as you may put II. has q wonderful effect on
such a sufferer. She watches me closely listens
attentively. l want her to do this. I want
to distract her. 1t 10 wonderful how the pa
tient Gains down. appear terribly In earnest
to defeat the witch. and in this way I have
gained the name OF witch doctor. Then when
/ have the patient quieted / proceed to give her
medicine to quiet her nerves: I induce her to
eat; I &C through various lamentations at tho
door and windows Of her room. owing that
every evil influence will forever be barred out,
and try with my own strong will to impress it
upon the sufferer that she Is to be free from
the witch. and then l leave her.
In q majority Of cases such afflicted women
are restored to health by proper medical assis.
lance and nursing. You know that IN this age,
while 1t Is very much improved over the century
Just passed. there are yet many in the back
woods districts who still believe in being
afnicted by spells from witches. Understand
me. I do not say they are wrong. I have soon
many strange cases and I cannot say that they
were the result OF an Observation-Disclosures.
I only know that they acted as II they imagined
they were verging on insanity. Indeed some
have told me they thought so. Their nerves
were completely upset. Yet all they needed
was some strong force Of mind and body to
combat them and put them at their case By
assuring them that they would be certainly
relieved from the powers OF the witches or
devils In them.
Men are not so often attacked. Young girls
and young women are mostly afflicted. Some
times am called to see boys. and at other
times babies in the cradle. who are apparently
starving amid plenty. but who have shrunk to
living skeletons. Tho parents OF such babies
invariably tell me an old woman witch ia under
suspicion. l at once enter into their belief
and proceed with a number OF lamentations,
but leave medicines for tho ailment l tn nli
the child Is afflicted with. and then 10 away
saying that I had bafied the witch. and giving
special Instructions about the first old
woman who crosses their threshold. Mind
you. I do not say that a spell cannot be
put on a child or any one else. 1t is safer
to tell you that all such cases are over
wrought nervousness. But people have been
possessed with devils In all ages. The
Lord cast out devils. Familiar spirits are
chronicled in all histories. The American In
dams had their medicine men who with incan-
tations cast out devils. or evil spirits. We are
no better than the people Of a century or ten
centuries ago. We are weaker and wiser. but
we may be Just as full Of evil. and Just ms much
subject to devils as the people OF the past were.
I don't say we are. but the supposition Is that
we are. because We are weaker and wiser.
I'VE have keener imaginations. have more
business, more mental ACTIVITY, anu our nerves
are moro played upon. Now couple a mental
or a nervous disorder or disarrangement OF any
bodily function with an imagination OF devils.
witches or devils. and what is the result 1t
must not be said that n man who pretends to
cast out witches Is a believer in witchcraft. The
patients. generally. are the believers. and they
want human sympathy first. and then. having
faith. they can be aided. possibly. better than
In any other way. But. mind you. I don't
say they are wrong. 1 don't say that the
casting out OF devils In the New Tes-
lament is false doctrine or pernicious teach
ing. The greatest scholars Of past history
believed In demonology. 1t is not for me to
say they we're wrong. No one Of to-day will
question the efficacy OF prayer. Powwowing
for burns or Affections is simply praying for a
cure or relief. You do not know what prayers
may be said during incantations for the relief
OF the pervously distracted patient that is
Weeping. bewailing. moaning, jumping, shrek,
ing or Historically laughing at some imaginary
object before her. But. after all. it is the mas.
tory over these sufferers that must be first
aMonrAd THAR rayiD1a rust ha conouarad Il,