Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-12-09
EDWORDS SEES DOCTOR
VISITS NATIVE DOCTOR WHO
CURES MALADIES BY
WORD OF MOUTH.
Lives i'm Little Bamboo and COcOnut
Leaf Hut and the Natives Believe
He Performs Wonderful Cures.


markable men on the island, and
have been quite impressed For sew
eral days l have heard wonderful
stories about native doctor, who
cured all sorts of maladies simply by
saying they were non-existent. This
sort of Christian Science among
savages is not new to me, 1 have seen
much off the same sort of thing
among Indians and other savage
races. But in all my previous expert
ence l found a great deal of charlat-
anism done for effect. On way to
Papara we passed a grove Of coconut
trees, surrounded by a stone wall,
and in the midst of the grove was
a little bamboo and coconut leaf hut.
Alexander pointed it out to me with
great reverence and told me it was
the home of wonderful native doc
tor who performed marvellous cures.
l thought visit to the doctor
would be interesting, and asked if he
would receive visitors. The reply was
that he declined to see white people,
but when l suggested that he might
| receive me as l, too, am a physician,
l was accorded the honor of being re-
| ceived. Instead of tricky native liv-
| ing off the credulity of the people, I
was surprised to find man with all
| the appearance of benevolent
student. He had a most kind face,
the poorest l learned that he never
charged for his work All he asked
was sufficient food to keep him in
existence.
Our conversation was carried on
through the medium of Alexander's
interpretations, consequently was not
entirely satisfactory. The doctor
would not talk of his healing power,
except to say that it was gift that
had been transmitted down from gen.
Grafton to generation in his family.
He said he did not know how he got
his power all he knew was that when
a person started from home to visit
him he Immediately felt it and knew
what was the matter He put his
minu on the person and by the time
he arrived the disease was we'll.
There was no air og bragadocio in
his manner as he told this, and l
was fortunate enough to see an exam
pie of his power. While we were
talking a man came to the hut. The
doctor stood up and with the visitor
saying a word he was told to go
back home, and while on his way to
pick up two round rocks he would
find on the road, and carry them to
his house and put them in his bed.
In the morning he would be we'll.
| asked Alexander to find me the
result of this sort of medication and
| he reported TO me tl.ls morning that
the man was we'll l am not prepared
to say what | think of this doctor,
Just yet, but | have learned that lie
is the brother of a very wealthy man.
an attorney, living in Papeete. and
this wealthy brother is much cha
grined to think that the doctor lives
as he does. He has offered to build
him a fine house and give him good
clothing, but the doctor refuses all
and prefers his hut and his pareu,
saying that he has a mission to per-
form.
! | find that there are several of
these native doctors on the island
but this one is acknowledged to be
the greatest of them all. One of the
peculiarties of their practice is that
they use certain leaves for specific
maladtes, and they really performed
cures that were impossible for the
French physicians in town. The
beach is infested with a certain fish
that has erectile spines. and frequent-
| ly bathers are in danger OF stepping
on the spines. When they do they
are Immediately paralysed, and X
they do not nave speedy relief the
paralysis ends in death. The French,
physicians have not found remedy
for this poison, but these native
doctors apply certain leaves to the
affected feet and almost instantly the
person recovers. This was attested
to me by the physician in charge OF
the big hospital in Papeete.
The whites call these doctors
witch DOCTORS" but there are no IN
carnations. The doctor whom / visit
ed told me he received his power
from the spirits. In other words ne
claimed to be a mediumistic healer.
This is especially appealing to the
natives, for they are great believers
in spirits, and in my next letter
shall tell what found out about the
spiritualism on the island.