New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-03
MAGICAL MEDICINE.
Belief in 1t Dies Hard in South
Carolina.
BY John Hawkins.

One occasionally Ands in the United States. as
well as in secluded hooks OF the Old World re-
gions in In which Superstitious medical practces'
handed down from father to son for no one knows
how many hundreds Of years. not only survive.
but also show an astonishing degree Of vitality
Such a region occurs in the central part or
South Carolina. It is a strip OF country about
hundred miles long and from thirty 20 fifty
miles wide. lying along the Santee. the Congaree,
Broad and Saluda rivers, and embracing parts OF
the counties OF Orangeburg. Lexington, Newberry
and Saluda. The early European settlers OF this
region were Germans who came, about the middle
OF the eighteenth century. from the Lower Pala-
innate, Baden. WUrtemberg and Switzerland. AT
d little later date small groups and isolated farni-
lies of Scotch-Irish, of English and OF French from
the Huguenot settlements of the coast region
established themselves among these peasants from
the banks OF the Rhine. But, broadly speaking.
this part Of Carolina IN the early days bit
OF Germany transplanted bodily into the new
world and, undisturbed by subsequent immigra-
ton its inhabitants have retained 10 the present
day many OF the traits and characteristics or their
ancestors.
Until ninety or a hundred years ago. according
70 local historians there were no physicians in
this region. Besides the stock OF medical lore In
the possession Of the old women Of every country
neighbOrhood the sick had recourse only to a
system OF practice known as using which con-
sisted in rubbing the affected part with the hands
Of the operator blowing the breath upon II, and
repeating over the patient certain ancient charms
or nominations in the efficacy OF which both doc
tor and patient had unbounded faith At the
present day physicians here plentiful and in
learning and skill they compare favoraoly with
those Of any country district, but there IS still a
class OF people which clngs teraciously 70 the old
beliefs and this class is apt-especially when
regular physicians fail. they sometimes must
70 relieve the afIlcted-to have recourse TO some
old man or woman who enjoys local reputation
for skill In magic. Whether is thus effected
not. belief the method IS not shaken, for. as
Bacon remarks. men count the hits but not the
misses An occasional success offsets many fail
ures. and so faith in the formulas which age and
the authority of the elders have rendered sacred
remains unimpared.
As one star differeth from another IN glory, so,
too the practitioners Of using differ from one
another IN skill and IN extent CT knowledge. Some
are acquainted with the methods. but have
little success in practice To some who are
successful only one or OF the charms are
iiuo w, others possess half dozen or more Skill
ful or uuskilful however, users are 10y no means
numerous. ana when emergencies arise that de-
uaud their services IL is sometimes necessary 70
send 10 considerable distances before is found
Their scarcity is due 70 the fact that the formulas
are ieaIously guarded since the promiscuOus dis
closure Of tile secrets is thought TO take away the
possessors influence over the powers which bring
disease and death. Tie ethics OF the profession
de-u.ud that when adept al using feels the
approach or and death lie shall diyulge his
magical knowledge TO some one (a2d TO one on!yl
who IS worthy possess Il, and this one is bound
20 transmit IL IN like a single successor.
II Is not altogether impossible however, as this
article viii show. for OF the uninitated TO OBJ
tain possession If the formulas. One may some
times md a possrssor OF tie mystic charms who
is not unwilling TO communicate them 10 another
for a money consideration.
So much by way OF preface 10 the formulas them
selves which herewith given. the directions for
their use being printed IN parentheses The
thorities followed verbatim.