Indian Herbalist

NZ Truth, Issue 979, 30 August 1924, Page 12

Indian Herbalist

Denounced for Treatment of Maoris.. -(From "Truth's" Auckland Rep.) Salaman, , the Indian herbalist of Auckland, cut a poor figure m an inquest here. "Truth" readers will remember when a prosecution against Salaman failed some time ago, because there was a c&ntradiction of evidence as to whether the word "atah" meant "chemist." But Salaman was described by Magistrate Poynton as "a 1 fraud," and now, by Magistrate Hunt, as a "humbug" and a ''ruffian." The occasion of this was an inquest m Auckland on Tuesday last, on a Maori child, Mane Reiha, aged nine or ten years, whose grandmother had brought her from Whakarewarewa, m the Rotorua district, for "treatment" by Salaman. The' first witness was Ngawarina Rikehaua, the grandmother of the child, who said that little Mane had been m the King George Hospital, Rotorua, for about a month. She brought the child on August 18 to Salaman, who has a shop m Khyber Pass. She paid Salaman 12s for which she received four bottles of medicine. The medicine was given to the child. The child got worse a few 'days later and died at 11 o'clock that night. Magistrate Hunt wanted, to know why the witness did. not 1 get a doctor, and Dr. Buck explained that, as a Maori, she had resigned herself to the inevitable. THE SECOND INQUEST! Magistrate Hunt: This is the second inquest I ? have held on a Maori who. had been attended by this man. It is time it was stopped. The continuing, told Mr". Paterson, who appeared for Salaman, that Salaman had asked her if the child had been m hospital before, and that she told him. yes. - ■• Abraham Wai ley Mohamed Salaman, who described himself as a herbalisc, »uit who admitted to the "Coroner that he had no qualifications of any kind, and that he knew nothing of drugs except herbs, said he had carried on business m Auckland for four years. Magistrate : It is high time you were stopped. Salaman said, that the Maori woman had brought the child to him about a week previously, and told him it was ill. He 'looked at it, and asked her if she h£«l been to a doctor, and she said that it had been m a hospital. Witness told her to take it back to the hospital, biut she said that they ..eould do nothing for it. ' v ' Magistrate: Well, how m the world could you dp anything with it? Witness: I did not say I could. Magistrate: But you took money from the woman. . ' Salaman: I gave, her a tonic. Magistrate (with great contempt m his tones)": Tonic! Salaman said that what he gave the woman was a blood tonic and a bottle of almond oil. Magistrate: ' What sort of herbs did 1 you make it out of? '; . Salaman hummed and ha-d, and he had to be pressed considerably before he would answer. Then he said that the tonic was composed of quininG and iron. The almond oil was for strengthening the lungs. COULDN'T REMEMBER THE ' MIXTURE. Dr. _ Buck:, You are a herbalist — an alleged herbalist? Were quinine and iron the only things m that tonic? Salaman: I put all different sorts of herbs m, but I cannot now remember what they were. The Magistrate: He mixed it up with as much skill as a barman mixes a cocktail. Dr. Buck: Oh. that usually does require some skill. The Magistrate: Why doesn't the Health Department) prosecute ? this man? Dr. Buck: We can't get at him. The doctor then referred to the previous case against the Indian, which had failed. . f ' The Magistrate (turning to Mr..Paterson): Why does not the Crown prosecute him? I notice he is cunning enough to go to the Crowri Law Office to get someone to appear for him. I had another case the other day. This ! man. takes their money and fills them out with drugs. Ruffians of this sort know nothing. (To Salaman): What did you do m India? Salaman: The same thing. The Magistrate:, Well, go back and 'practise on your own people. To Mr. Paterson, Salaman said his business was hereditary— his ancestors dealt m it. • Mr. Hunt: My ancestors dealt m medicine, but I know nothing about