The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-02-27
Witch Doctors.
Mix Miracle and Medicine In
Brittany.
Dy w. c. FITZGERALD.


Asiatic Turkey and China, where the
family practitioner" squats by the
roadside selling amulets and charms,
love philtres, mysterious protection
against invisible enemies, and cures
for all ills, even more weird than
those of the witches in Macbeth"
But who would look for witch and
wizard doctors at this day in civilized
France? 1t need hardly be said that
their habitat is beautiful old Brittany
that paradise of artists, where the
world has stood still for centuries and
all conditions of life are in some re-
spects as backward as they were in
the twilight days Of King Arthur and
his knights. Even the marriage cere-
monies, with their barbaric open air
feasts and dances and the queer
pursuit" of the bride, are survivals
of paganism when marriage by cap
ture was in vogue.
The Bretons speak a tongue of
their own, and in many villages of
the Department of Morbihan French
is entirely unknown. Everywhere
one comes across quaint old manners
and customs, for the people are filled
with superstition and cling to the
manners of their forefathers with
positive fanaticism.
This is nowhere more in evidence
than in the matter of the village doc
tor or doctress-grave persons la
comic in speech, and supposed to be
filled with all knowledge of the
heavens and the earth and things
that are under the earth.
Their treatment is in some respects
little less drastic than that of the
witch doctors of Northern Siam (the
Laos States), where all ailments are
supposed to be due to demons in the
patient, who has his back most cruel
ly lacerated with tigers claws that
the evil spirit may find a way out.
In villages like Concarnau or love-
ly old Quimperle one meets the
Breton magician-doctor at his best.
It may be the patient is a fisherman
who has badly sprained his back on a
lugger, and knows no peace until the
doctor is sent for. The treatment in
many cases is given in the open air,
for a number of reasons. First, the
roars and yells of the victim, much
diminished by space, do not so great
ly distress his relatives; and, more
over, the scene draws small crowd
of respectful spectators who are vast
ly impressed by the wonderful skill
or occult knowledge of the operator.
The wizard doctor Of Brittany has
no bedside manner" to speak Of.
He is sent for for a specific object,
and strives to attain this in the most
direct and vigorous manner possible,
well knowing that unless his herb po-
tions are appallingly nauseous and
drastic in result and his bone setting
a matter Of agony little faith would
be put in him and his payments in
cash and kind would dwindle to the
vanishing point as murmurs against
his feeble methods slipped from vii
lage to village.
A matter like neuralgia, being diff
ficult to cure in any snowy or dra-
matte manner, calls for the magic
wand" with much cabalistic mutter-
ing and laying on Of hands," more
or less after the manner of the apos-
ties. Some of these so-called doctors
unquestionably have rude notion of
bone setting, and their treatment of
sprains and simple fractures, al
though causing intense pain to the
patient, undoubtedly attains it's OBJ
ject.
The women doctors are usually
old, with a primitive knowledge of
the effects of certain herbs upon the
system, and their speciality is the
treatment Of children and women.
Their methods would excite dismay
in New York, London or Paris, but a
most touching and implicit faith is
put in them, even when they act as
dentists by the old string and chair
method. Fees are frequently paid in
grain, hay, native costumes and sill
yer ornaments, but the women also
often pay the witch doctors by means
Of their own hair.
1t should be explained that there
Is regular hair harvest In Brittany,
and the girls and women do not mind
much parting with their back tresses,
because the native Breton bonnet
conceals the loss.
The doctors also practice a certain
kind of hypnotism. especially in the
case of nervous affections, and fire.
Quently succeed in persuading a pa
tiesnt (even with blows, curses and
contumely) that there is nothing at
all the matter with him, and that he
ought to be ashamed of himself CIV
Ing up work these hard times and
causing anxiety to his friends and
relativesl
Mud poultices, cats fur, dogs hair,
human blood, parchment with mys-
terious words written on it-these
are some of the remedies" which the
quack doctors of Brittany commonly
use. and which are believed in by the
patients with the faith that moveth
mountains. The more successful of
these village practitioners employ as