The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-12-16
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RELICS or the BLACK ART.
An Interesting Lot of Objects In the
National Museum

From the Washington Post.
a collection IS now being placed in the
I National Museum that carries tho his
tory Of medicine back to the days when
the black art fouushed ana charms were
supposed 20 effect more cures .hln doc
I Tors Il Is wonderful how some magical
formulas framei years ego are stu al
most unchanged despite the advance Of
! the physician ART ana science
That tho rules OF sorcery are varied nc
cordiug 10 location is proven by a small
card attached TO the right forefoot Of a
rabbit. which had come 20 its death by
| being chased down IS u lauk yellow hound
o. the Virginia type. aud which. accord
/ ms 20 an inscription. coet the collector
! ave cents iu tine Center Market. The
I traditional tahhlrs foot ~ tle country
/ south 81 the Mason and Dixon line stip-
I ulates that tna CAatm OF a rabbits foot
| lies IA the fact o. lgs being the left hind
I foot. ana that The rabbit shall b. caught
in a graveyard iu the dark Of the moon
/ But as tlAs may not be imperative 81 is
simply a rabbits foot that charms away
/ rheumatism and keeps on the whole cat-
oEory Of eva spirits It's charm Is well
established down South.
Tho belief in the rabbits foot doubtless
| comes from that 81 some Of the wild
I tribes Of Australia. They believe that
sorrerer By simply creeping near one 10
sleep. can bewitch him 80 death by mere
ly pointing "a him with the leg bone OF
"a kangaroo. or he can steal away his Kid
| ney tat wherein the natives believe a
| mans power dwells. or a mighty sorcerer
/ can gcs lock OF hair and roast Il with
rat over the fire until with its shrlveiue
away the former owner % the hair dies
The illustrations OF the hero treatment
are many. and among the other UNIQUE
remedies is an infal,lble ono FOR curnr
nose bleed. To a meet card e. attached a
skcin OF scarlet silk thread. long enough
10 BE- worn about the neck. which has
tied IN Il u'nc different knots Both the
red SILK ana the nine knots ara impera-
tive. Another thar g. equally good. or
better, Is rusty nail II Is used 20 scar
ify the gums untl they bleed when. with
the ID Oh SAN adhorlug. the nail is driven
into wooden beam unt : only the head is
visible. Blood poisoning m. ensue, but
that Is Of minor Importance.
A poony root carried in tho pocket or
strung Ike beads and worn about the
| neck will prevent insanity. or g. equally
emoaoious On curing cts m children This
Is an old practice among negro mammies
| IN Mississippi ard Louisiana. and g. rife
to-day. II u fails @ g. because the root Is
too old. or was not worn iu time.or may
be. was not dug in the dark OF the moon.
The cures FOR rheumatism are legion.
The muscuN has Illustrated che mage
Of the horsc-chestrut The card attached
announces that the chestnut must Doe cith-
or begged or stolen. and when this part
| o. the prescription is observed You have
only 20 carry the chestnut len your pock-
q. II may seem odd but Washington has
/ "A number OF statesmen who faithfully
! follow this magical custom. The Indians
i a. Nftatrra4fIerss Il nnttafa1 bn
| spirits OF slain deer. arc hence Tor the
cure the medicine man OF the redskin IN
vokes aid from the Red Dog OF the East.
the Blue Dog Of the North. the Black
Dog OF the West. the White Dog OF the
south, each reached by separate prayers.
While praying the medicine man rues
the afflicted parts with bunch Of drt,d
fern roots and at the end OF each appeal
blows once upon the afflicted part. In
practice the Indian medicine man dons
wooden mask grotesquely shaped. and
painted In red. white and blue. with
/ small grinning face upon the forehead
and either cheek While dressing up tn
this mask he uses a further remedy. con-
slsting OF wooden rattle, 20 be used in
the ceremonies OF exorcism. The rattle
u covered with buckskin IN representa-
ton OF turtle. clay Image OF thu
mountain lion h the foundation Tor
Zuni fetch. The sample shown Ia the
museum resembles not a little three
cent roll sandwich set up on tOothpcks
but st Is mighty. The hunter prays to
the indwe,hng spirit q the image Tor a.
slstance Ia securing game, ne well az Tor
protection against the dangers that beset
a hunter.
4 remedy for whoopng cough Is given
upon one OF the neat white cards Ia the
r case with these other cures. This iimc
a lock OF hair 81 90 be cut from the head
J o. the child having the disease and put
between two pieces OF bread. The sand
wich is then fed to the family dos and
N he eats 80 all IS lost. IL he coughs while
eating IL the child Immediately recovers
! Few dogs can swallow hair.sO this usually
b iufallible Perhaps the best known
{ magic aside from the RABBIT foot horse
chestnut and the potato in the pocket Is
4 that % the famed maidstone It's interest
ing history Is that when rubbed upon the
, bite 81 absorbs the poison thereby cur
ing or preventing hydrophobia. II ~ aft
erward soaked in warm milk and water
60 remove the virus. after which It is
ready for the next unfortunate. The poor
! peasants OF Europe carry o magnet In the
2 rocket 20 ward of rheumatism. but In
America-and to-day--some people insist
that wearing a galvauic belt will bring
health and = long life. though an cleo
, trician will tell you that such a belt
has no power to kni OF cure a nv.
Prayer Is an old medicine. while songs
aud nominations ere SIN practiocd in all
parts OF tne world. An instance given
Z Ia the museum o. magic song recon-
. unudcd hy Cato the Censor Tor the cure
. OF disocatiou. IL runs;
! "Huat. hauat. ista. pls,s. sista, damlato
damuauatru."
: An Oh cure fog ague, to W said By the