The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-12
From the Washington Post.


 Reading, Pa.-Within the past year at least 1000 babies in this region have died. victims of the witch doctors,' or. as they are known, "hex doctors" to whom superstitious parents have taken these little ones, believing that they would be cured of their ailments. Besides this toll of death among the young, countless men and women have passed away as a result either of lack of proper medical treatment or by the nauseating messes given by these illegal practitioners. With in two days last week six babies died al the hands of the witch doctors, and now the enlightened portions of the commu nities of eastern Pennsylvania have taken the matter in hand and are pre- pairing to stamp out this medieval super stition from its den within one of the most prosperous sections of the state.
 Little known to the outside world, this strange survival of some of the most an cient belief and practices of the old world has for years been steadily gain ing ground. Throughout the section taking in Berks, Montgomery, Schuylkill. Lehigh. Lebanon. Bucks, Lancaster and Northampton counties. the seat of what is known as the Pennsylvania German communities, these witch doctors carry on their practices.
 The dupes of the witch doctors are not,
  have in their ranks many of the middle class farming folk and fair scattering of professional and cultivated people.
 Guarantees to Cure.
 The witch doctor guarantees to- cure every ailment He is sometimes called upon even to bring the dead back to life. His services are particularly valued at childbirth and during the first months of the baby, when it is beset by the ordi- nary ailments of that period. It is the habit, whenever a child becomes ill., for neighbors to rush in, declaring that it has been "verhexed." Then the nearest witch doctor is sought for and the incan- tations begin. In six eases out of ten, 1t has been estimated by the authorities, the child dies under this treatment This is not only caused fby the dose given by the witch doctors, but in equal propor- ton by the treatment prescribed, and in which ordinary precautions, sanitary and hyglenic aids, and the services of a legiu- mate practitioner have no part whatever.
 Dr. Robert E. Strasser, famous Penn sylvania surgeon and coroner of Berks county, is leading the movement to stamp out this superstition,
 The investigations have disclosed the fact that almost whole counties firmly believe in the reality of "heXing and protect themselves from its Influence by the charms and incantations of the witch doctors.
 Founded on Witch Book.
 The representatives of the Berks Medl- cal society have found that the practice of the witch doctors is founded on book of 70 pages, published in this city over 90 years ago by John George Hoh- man. one of the pioneer witch doctors in eastern Pennsylvania. This book Is almost exclusively used by tse witch doc tors in preparing charms and in giving advice for which they charge high prices. The practice of it's mysterious formula is carried on to Q large extent even be- yond the limits of Pennsylvania, possibly the larger portion of the country east Of the Mississippi, and possibly even beyond.
 Not only Reading and Benks county has had it's "Warsht (Wurst Frau, put there are hundreds upon hundreds Who carry on the same things in other parts of the country.
 Hohman's book was writNn at Rose dale in Berl<s county, Pa, in the year 1S19. Holman tells very little of his own personal history. He came to America in 1799 from the Black Forest, and in the course of about 16 years saved enough to nurchase himself home near Readr ing.
 Some of the lncsntations-
 Here are some of the incantations and remedies of the witch doctors;
 When one is wasting away he can use this. It has helped many. Let the per son boil water in a vessel before sun rise. fasting and undressed. boil an egg in this water: make three small holes in inc egg with a needle. then carry 1t and throw 1t on an ant hill, which the large ants have made. AS the eSS rotS the pa- tient becomes better,
 Remedy for gout and rheumatis'n-l go on another's jurisdiction-ie, you go on another mans own land. l button my seventy-seventh gout. You take three shots: at each shot yon button one but ton. You do this Friday morning before sunrise.
 Stroke the person or the animal you would benefit At each repetition strike him on the back, viz the first time once, the second twice. the third time thrice, and set time for the worms, but not less than three minutes.
 For islander of witchcraft-Art thou slandered, or thy head, flesh, limb, send if back home to the false tongues, thus: Take off the shirt and put it on wrong side out: put the two thumbs at the pit of the stomach and carry them around under the ribs as far as to the hips Do this three times, carefully and devoutly.
 Good remedy for fever-Good morn ing, dear Thursday, take away from lname) the IT cover fever! An. take it