THE "DEVIL EXTRACTOR" AND HIS FEES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1586, 22 April 1887, Page 4

THE "DEVIL EXTRACTOR" AND HIS FEES.

The Times of India of a late date lays: —The last census in India revealed the fact that there are more occupations engaged in by the people of the country than the ordinary public is cognisant of; but, as far as we remember, it has been left to the Madras Small Cause Court to bring to light a gentleman who gains his living by deril-eitracting. Thisjnoyel, and if we may judge by the fees charged highly lucrative employment appears to be recognised is a perfectly legitimate profession. The cause of action, it is true, was put down in the plaint as a refusal to pay plaintiff for the cure of defendant's brother of a mental disorder or|mania attended by physical diftress, insensibility, and pains but there was no disguise in Court as to the exact nature of the claim. In fact the Judge, a native gentleman,

appeared to resent the scepticism of the defendant's pleader as to the possibility of casting oat devils, and his jocularity at the expense of the plaintiff's profession. "What, if a doctor does not cure, he cannot recover !" his honour exclaimed on one occasion; and on another, when the defendant's pleader expressed his disbelief in devil, extracting, he inconsequently observed," But you believe in haunted houses ?" To this remark the pleader replied, " There may be a spiritual manifestation," from which it would appesr that he is not altogether free from Ihe superstition which he ridiculed. The plaintiffs cross-examination was very diverting. Diseases, he said, were of three kinds—mental, spiritual, and physical. Some physical sicknesses he could cure by his art, bnt not every case Asked if he could cure love pain, he replied, w That is a very hard pain to be cored; even my father could not cure tbat." Later on he stated that be could not cure a person unless he were a negative. Other witnesses called described the nature of the plaintiff's treatment and its success. It was inferred that the evil spirit of the patient in this case was of tbe female kind, and as ho, poor man, had only just been msrried, perhaps the presumption was not far from the truth. At the conclusion of the evidence, the worthy judge dismissed the suit, not because he was of opinion that there was no cause of. action, but because there was no evidence to support the contract sued upon.