A Case of "Live Things"

Quack Doctor has some scans from an old newspaper reporting a case of death by "live things." So called live-things is an old folk illness, known to be both caused and cured by hoodoo, in which animals (usually of an unpleasant nature, like insects, lizards or snakes) would be mysteriously put into a person in such a way that they would continue to live inside the human tissues, and would ultimately cause death the death of their host.

Nowadays few people report this as a problem and hardly any hoodoos claim to be able to cause it. Improved medical technology is one reason for this shift, as diseases which seemed mysterious (like restless leg syndrome or tumors) can now be pinpointed to a more precise cause. Additionally, it seems some old time hoodoos used this as a con -- the apparent 'removal' of the live things would make a splendid show of their power to a village full of potential clients, but was probably really achieved by sleight of hand and the power of suggestion.