The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-13
vOoDOo REMEDIES.
some Thnt Were Recognized by the
Highest Authority in London Not
Long Ago.

Long Ago.
From the Chicago Tribune
Somebody has said OF the medical pro-
feIon ana with some rclevlnce. that II
% only effected the cures that its pretcn-
soas call for there would Dee less Of
qlackcry Ga the world. But ia the light
oi history tho inference is severe upon
the doctors. The evolution OF medicine.
even among lts professors. has been un-
usually slow as compared TO other pro-
fessions and cal.ings. The practice OF
medicine came from mans supersltious
desire .9 heal himself and In the main Il
may hc maintained that the medical pro
fess.ou to-day Is far go advance OF is
patronage The burial ~ a man IN we
sand "a Meuomince Mich. On the belief
that the iuterment would cure rheuma-
q. IN De- only an index of how slowly the
masses OF the people are getting away
from the yocIoo practices Of their ances-
tors According 20 all diagnoses Of tho
disclao such an iutcrmout could only AK
crtvate rhcumati-m. but probably tho old
fcuth aphorism. mat "tfc hair Of dog
is good for It's bite" lei some one 20
urge this treatment upon the Michigan
man with the result that he is now virtu-
ally disabled
Goncle. a Jester at the court Of the
Duke of Fcrrara. 10 France. tn the M
tcenth century. made the assertion that
moro people pretended 10 healing than
20 all the other arts IN the world. To
prove this. ~ simply walked down the
street iu his night can. with his jaw tiei
up. and more than 200 persons stopped
him 20 tell him OF sure cures for the
tooihache. To-day this observation OF
nobleman's Jester may be believed 10 hold
ne good as 30 did then.
ono of the strongest arguments for tho
common descent OF an men has been
found in the practice Of medicines among
savage people. kinship has been cstah-
ll-hea IN these practices between every
nation under the sun In Europe. after
the steam engine had been perfected. the
pharmaropoeia was 30 years behind that
innovation.
In ISIS the pharmacopoeia Of the College
~ Physicians Of London rccognized the
skull % a person dying a Violent death
as being Of great medicinal value. Tho
horn OF the unicorn. too. was a specific
against many ills In 1924 the virtues of
human TAT Of skulls, Of unicorns' horns
and OF toade. vipers and lizards were rec
orulzeh hy the same institution. Ia l52
the pharma copoei1 was considerably re-
vised but 20 retained cenupedes, lizards
and yipers upon the list.
Hundreds Of years before, IN China and
Japan. the same objects were revered oy
the medical practitioners. They came
from him 20 the newer world beyond
doubt Japan until recently believed n
the virtues Of the carbonized remains OF
common animals Chickens. cats. birds.
dogs and many other creatures were kept
bon the back yards OF the doctor. and the
patient made bis selection ~ The animal
which should perform the cure The crea-
lure would Doe killed with some ceremony
and burnt TO ashes Before the eyes OF
The sick one. As soon as possible after
ward the curative remains would be ap-
piled. From live animals to-day the doc
tor has taken 20 dried creatures skins.
horns teeth and claws. taken from al
most every imaginable creature. The far
Their these things have travelled the more
value they are supposed 10 possess
India has a Ike superstition, and Cen
Robert Warden tells OF having Killed =
fine tiger ana removed iH skin when
the natives saw this trophy they begged
o. be- told where the body OF the animal
was buried. explaining that from its
bones a dccoetion could be made that
would cause those who drank II to become
immensely strong and courageous
England had the same fetch in 1855
when Or. Troope 81 oxford became inter
csted IN the uucovcrinE OF a grave OF the
ancient Britons on Hokpeu I'm IN wilt.
shire The bodies Of these men rad been
laid IN the ground feet TO feet In a circle
The doctor says.
''Tho bones were large and nearly rot
ten. but tho teeth were extrean ana
wonderfully white. ! dug IN many bush.
els. with which ! made a noble medicine 3,
At one time human skulls were exported
fran Ireland 90 Germany 10 be used In
medicine. ana The mummiied remains .,
the ancient Egyptians were much soueb,
after
Al the present day Il Is said that moro
rattlesnake oil is bottled IN Pennsvlvupia
than ever before ln the history % the
state. In New England eobweb nils are
supposed 10 cure the ague. and In the
south certain knuckle bone In a pig's
loot b sure cure for rheumatism. n
u be carried ~ the pocket or worn sus.
pended from string around the neok
tracing the spider web plil. II ortrl.
mated 10 China. where ali species OF IN.
sects had certain positive or negative val
ues ~ medicine. In Pekin Il Is CUSTOMARY
10 give two 20 three scorpions or srslders
=" patient III OF fever. In Ireland the