Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-10-10
WEIRD SUPERSTITIONS.
That Take Possession of People of
The West Indies.
Heres Believed to be Patron Saint Of
Tetanus GermS--=Afraid of Chests.

TetanuS Germs--=Afraid of Chests.
"A native of the West Indies avoid
water. or at least the external applica
tion of it," said an army officer wh'
had spent some time in Cuba. "Wh,
, it is no one knows beyond the supersti
J tion that a wetting brings on fever. A
Cuban will avoid a shower and is ever
afraid of bath. In the interior th'
traveller is warned by the people against
a plunge In creek or river and told
that it will bring on an immediate at
tack of the climatic In the towns
even during draught, be people re-
fuse to go into the rain to catch a
bucket of water. l have never seen
any bad effects from bath in one of
these clear mountain streams and, as
the women stand in the water all day
| long when doing their washing, l do
not see that the position taken is very
consistent Still that is the general
belief.
Another superstition is that the
horse is thought to be the patron saint
OF the tetanus germ. This belief is
sustained by American scientists. who
find that the stable is the home of
these germs. If there is bruise or
wound of any kind one must not, &C
cordlng to the belief, ride horseback or
lockjaw will result. 1t seems odd that
this superstition is so well sustained
by science. Lockjaw is the most
common and deadly disease with the
people of the West Indies because the
germs especially thrive in that climate.
Another superstition in this connec-
tion is that, if there is a wound on the
hand or foot the member must not be
put in the water for nine days or
tetanus will follow. This seems to be
in part sustained by science, for lock-
jaw is usually contracted by the open
ing of a wound without proper
antiseptics. Mumps are greatly dread
ed, for, as the people say. they go to
the heart on the least provOcation. 1t
is hard to find any reason for this be-
lief. Yet the man with swollen jaw
must not do hundred things he does
daily and it keeps his friends busy ad-
vising him what he must do.
"One of the most uncomfortable
superstitions is that the ghosts of the
departed are able to carry out threats
made during life. No one there has
ever seen a ghost engaged In thus nefa-
riOus practice, yet the belief is firmly
instilled in the minds of the people.
Very often the services Of physician
are required to quiet the nerves of a
sufferer who has been led to expect a
visitation of this sort. There is no
known way to head off a ghost bent on
trouble of this kind and this man goes
through life in constant fear that his
departed enemy will carry out bis
threat.
Ghost stories are, of course, numer.
Gus and as mysterious as ingenuity can
make them. At the foot of one of the
mountains is a stream where ghosts
have apparently established hanging
up place. It is the headq uarters for
deceased malefactors. According to
the people for miles around ghosts are
seen there almost every night suspend
ed from the various trees by ropes
around their necks. or the place where
the neck ought to be.
"A few miles from one of the cities
is large calmeto tree in the center Of
the highway. Under the tree at mid
night appears a large white bird, which
seems to possess very peculiar quail
ties. No native will pass the tree after
that hour. and the highway is used lit
tie. The people are sure the bird is
there. The way to kill it, they tell you
in all seriousness, is to fire a gun in
the opposite direction over your should
or. 1t would probably not be a good
idea to be any place near on the high
way while native was thus engaged.
SIN the event of robbery the vic
tim must make nine days pilgrimage
to some shrine and remOrse OF sickness
will cause the conscience of the thief
to perform its proper functions, and
the stolen goods will be returned. If
they should happen to be found or re-
turned the correctness Of this method
is proved. II they are never discover
ed the thief either died in his sickness,
committed suicide in his remOrse or
80 wandered the goods SO that he could
not return them.
Little happens in daily life not
noted by the superstitious, who have g.
meaning for everything. Those given
are but illustrations of the beliefs
which prevail and which have a great
F, Influence ON the conduct of the people.
| Rulers and leaders in all ages have TAX
en- advantage of knowledge of super
stitutious beliefs to accomplish their
purposes. In the wars Of Cuba they
have played an important part, and as
long as ignorance prevails will continue
| to do SO.
1.-The class of people who believe in
them are harmless, hospieable as far
as is within their power, and, left to
themselves, would never go to war. 1t
Is the leaders who get control Of them,
who lead them astray, and even then
they make very poor soldiers. Cuba
is more in danger from its professional
agitators who VINO find in war means
of plnnder and to whom peace means
poverty. w ashington Star.