Pinch the Tail and Suck the Head
Founded by the French. Influenced by the Spanish. Spiced up by the Creoles. Coveted by the British. Bought by the United States. I could only be talking about one place: New Orleans. The Crescent City has its fair share of dark history, spooky stories, incredible food, and a large dose of magic. There is something about this place keeps calling me back. Before our world turned upside down in 2020, I almost moved to The Big Easy, but then our world changed, I had a baby, and I bought a house in Ohio. “Awesome alternative” you might be saying in your head, but it works for my little family. Even owning a home 1,045 miles away won’t stop me from constantly visiting and considering New Orleans to be my second home.
A word about the title of this blog: this is the very basic instruction about how to eat a crawfish. (Or maybe your description of a fun Saturday night. No judgement, either way.) Someone else said it sounds like a voodoo ritual, as well. Or perhaps it refers to the leeches I learned about, which once served the purpose as an early form of medical treatment. Maybe! Although the prime crawfish season starts in late February, there are plenty of good options to be had in terms of food in New Orleans. During my visit this past week I finally took the 52 minute St. Charles Streetcar ride to Jacques-Imos just to get a taste of the shrimp & alligator cheesecake, which I had been hearing about, as well as drooling about for years. It was just as scrumptious and delectable as I had imagined.
I really could (and should) write a blog just about the food, beverages, and all of my favorite places to eat and drink: Commander’s Palace, Port Of Call, Antoine’s, Parkway Tavern & Bakery, Central Grocery, Couchon Butcher, Lafittes (bar), and likely many others I’m likely just forgetting right now. But this blog is about ghosts, so laissez les bon temps roller.
During this visit I didn’t end up taking a ghost tour, although I had some brilliant recommendations from my Professional Ghost Tour Guide cohort. But the ghost tour industry thrives in the French Quarter. In fact, there’s so much weight given to the dark side of the city that it’s common for landlords to mark their properties available for rent as being “Haunted” or “Not Haunted” so that potential tenants know what they are getting into.
I have taken ghost tours with several different companies in the past, and they won’t be my last, but this time I strayed from my typical practice. Instead, I focused on two museums: Pharmacy Museum and Voodoo Museum.
After a Bloody Mary breakfast and a walk in the unseasonably chilly Louisiana morning, we made our way to the Pharmacy Museum. Very cool vibe in here. The price is very reasonable and you get to see some interesting collections and beautiful and inviting courtyard, complete with lemon and olive trees.
America’s First Licensed Pharmacist, Louis Dufilho’s most significant contribution to the history and integrity of the field of pharmacy took place in New Orleans in 1816. In 1804, the State of Louisiana, led by Governor Claiborne, passed a law that required a licensing examination for pharmacists wishing to practice their profession.
Prior to this law and before Louisiana became a U.S. State, there were some informal territory licensing measures, but none were enforced. A person could apprentice for six months and then compound and sell his or her own concoctions without any regulations or standards. The public received incorrect doses and erroneous medications. In 1804, Governor Claiborne established a board of reputable pharmacists and physicians to administer a three-hour oral examination given at the Cabildo in Jackson Square. Louis J. Dufilho, Jr. was the first to pass the licensing examination, therefore making his pharmacy the first United States apothecary shop to be conducted on the basis of proven adequacy. My favorite exhibits were the midwifery and obstetrics section and the vision care section, complete with a collection of antique spectacles. And then there was the collection of bed pans…..
From looking at past reviews, it sounds like they used to give tours, but that option is no longer offered. Just self-guided tours. I did learn some things from listening to a couple different podcasts. The soda fountain, which is very much associated with the old-timey pharmacy still operates. When this museum hosts wedding and events they can get it hooked up to the champagne bottles. Holy Muffaleta- a champagne machine! Tilt my head and put me underneath!
I had an interesting conversation with the museum worker about the stories that ghost tour companies make up about the venue. We agree that real history is interesting enough and there are enough actual spooky things going on that stories don’t need to be embellished. One podcast host who also works at the Pharmacy Museum mentioned that she is a skeptic, but she always greets the possible spirits in the morning and wishes them a good evening when she closes.
One of the alleged ghosts of the Pharmacy Museum is said to be Dr. Dupas. According to local legend, Dupas “imposed shocking experiments on pregnant slaves,” and other people have stated that he performed voodoo rites within the property itself as well. Today, it is said that Dr. Dupas’ ghost haunts the Pharmacy Museum after it closes. His ghost is seen wearing a brown suit, and most oftentimes a matching brown top hat too. His ghost appears to be of a man in his mid-sixties; he is said to be short and stocky with a mustache. His spirit is responsible for throwing books, moving items that are on display in the Museum, and triggering the alarm system, especially in the middle of the night.
A paranormal team who spent time here said that pregnant women, in the presence of this evil entity, are very susceptible to empathic physical reactions. Could this have happened? It’s not implausible, as doing “experiments” on the enslaved at this time was not unheard. Alternatively, however, it seems like slaves being tortured or used during medical experiments is a common theme for many ghost stories here in New Orleans.
Some people also report seeing the spirits of two children at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum-a boy and girl. They are said to wander the Museum, especially the stairwell, as well as the adjoining courtyard. Dulfiho Jr and his wife had two children die at the home when they lived there; they lost a son and a daughter. The theory is that these two spirits are the son and daughter of the original pharmacist.
After spending a couple hours there, we made our way over to Dumaine Street to visit the Voodoo Museum. Madame Cinnamon Black makes the whole experience. I just love her quirky personality and everything this museum has to offer. This museum is also self-guided, but we got a good long introduction by Madame. It was a very unusual day and she also told us it is way less crowded than normal, especially during Carnivale season. I believe it’s because of the flight delays caused by weather. One couple said they had an extra day, but they were ready to get back to their children. I commiserated. Madame Cinnamon Black told me it’s too bad I didn’t bring my son, as they do accept first-born children as payment.
The museum explores the mysteries, legends, and traditions of voodoo, and educates visitors on the influence voodoo has had throughout the city’s history. Some of the displays are a little bit dated, but who cares…..interesting information and I’ve always been intrigued by voodoo and hoodooo. I love learning the history and lore that comes along with the practice of voodoo. I think it is a misunderstood religion, but Madame had a sense of humor and she kept it real.
In the media, voodoo is largely represented by people creating evil voodoo dolls, crafting malevolent potions and sacrificing innocent animals so witch doctors can cause chaos in someone’s life. But in reality it is more a fusion of Roman Catholicism and Haitian and African voodoo, meshing together to create its own religion. In the Quarter we often see items for sale inside voodoo museums and shops: everything from chicken feet, animal bones, alligator heads, and love potions, to real voodoo dolls. But don’t let the seemingly strange items throw you off. They are all part of the culture, but often the media adds a hyperbolic explanation of what they are used to do. And again: misunderstood. For example, snakes are often seen as frightening and evil, and are used in Voodoo symbolism, or sometimes to poison people. They actually came from the Catholic religion (think St. Patrick). Also, Madame Cinnamon Black laughed and told us that no one was ever talking about “witch” doctors in the Voodoo religion; they were actually asking “which doctor?” There were so many people claiming to be doctors that they needed to know which one was legit. I guess Dr. Dupas would not be considered legit in this instance, based on his sinister practices.
