A Siamese Medicine Man.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 471, 14 May 1890, Page 6

A Siamese Medicine Man.

The great god-doctor of the Buddish Siamese lived in the time of Buddha, and all the plants and herbs spoke to him, and were good enough to tell him certain magic woods for dispelling different complaints. So when a Siamese is ill, he commits no such extravaganco as sending for his medical man, he only utters a few words ! But supposing the magic refuses to act? his friends come to the conclusion that * he is possessed of a devil,’ and place little trays of rice and other delicacies outside the house to induce the devil to come Out and have a good feed, which, says the ‘Hospital,’ is rather a reflection on the devil’s little weakness. He bad some good prescriptions, too, this old god-doctor ; the bone of a certain fish’s tail, the jaw of a hog, and many others. The pounded teeth of a tiger, an elephant, and a crocodile gave ‘ the courage of the first, the longevity of the second, and the solemn tranquillity of the third; what more could heart desire ? This would have beaten the elixir of life. But the wisdom of this physician stopped short at rheumatism ; even his skill could find no cure for:that terrible pain which is caused by the ‘ swamp spirit ’ clinging on to a person, and driving his nails in. The Siamese try to get rid of him by taking a f sharp axe and chopping within a hair’s j breadth of their skin, so as to chop the devil off, but he does not seem to mind a * bit, at least the poor Siamese are martyrs j to rheumatism. 1