# passing aches and ailments to a slave?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passing-aches-and-ailments-to-a-slave/317869
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 20, 2005, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passing-aches-and-ailments-to-a-slave/317869 "2005-08-20T08:52:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![classic\_yellow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@classic\_yellow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/classic_yellow)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2005, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passing-aches-and-ailments-to-a-slave/317869/1 "2005-08-20T08:52:13Z")

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I have heard that an old alternative healing ritual involved using a slave under foot - pressing very hard against slave stomach with bare feet. It was believed that any aches or ailments would transfer to slave - leaving master feeling well and slave suffering. I have also heard that hairless dogs may have been used for the same purpose?

Does anyone know if this was uses as a healing method, the cultures and the thinking behind it? :dubious:

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### Author: ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2005, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passing-aches-and-ailments-to-a-slave/317869/2 "2005-08-20T09:00:14Z")

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No idea if it’s historically accurate, but the practice is immortalized on film in _Mandingo_. James Mason’s doctor advises him to rest his feet on a slave to relieve an ailment (rheumatism IIRC) so for the rest of the film Mason has a slave boy foot stool.

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### Author: ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passing-aches-and-ailments-to-a-slave/317869/3 "2005-08-20T19:00:21Z")

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> [@classic\_yellow](#):
>
> I have heard that an old alternative healing ritual involved using a slave under foot - pressing very hard against slave stomach with bare feet. It was believed that any aches or ailments would transfer to slave - leaving master feeling well and slave suffering. I have also heard that hairless dogs may have been used for the same purpose?
> 
> Does anyone know if this was uses as a healing method, the cultures and the thinking behind it? :dubious:

Sounds like another “Old Wives Cure.”  
Hairless dogs: Shaved to provide hair for the heavy drinker that wants some of the hair of the dog that bit him?  
A Shaman may come by presently to present his wisdom.