T1xC1 - The wizard of Terrassa | Cultural Heritage. Goverment of Catalonia.

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T1xC1 - The wizard of Terrassa

In a time when public healthcare was a utopia and people could not afford a doctor, there were always unscrupulous and self-proclaimed experts trying to profit from the misery of others. They were people without any kind of training who treated patients with remedies that could sometimes have serious consequences.

The establishment in the Plaça de la Creu in Terrassa

Maria hadn’t been feeling well for months. What had started as a mild discomfort had gradually worsened, until the pain became so intense that there were nights when she could not sleep. Go and see the Wizard, her neighbours had advised. Everyone knew someone who had turned to his services and spoke wonders about him. But Maria remained doubtful.

The Wizard was the nickname given to Marcel·lí Lloveras Cánovas, who in 1892 ran a café in Plaça de la Creu, Terrassa. It was not, by any means, a place of good repute. But by October, Maria was feeling so unwell that she plucked up the courage and went to see him. Many things had been said about that establishment. That gambling went on there, that drink flowed freely, that it was frequented by women of ill repute… If anyone saw her going in, who knew what rumours might start to spread.
 



Photos of the Plaça de la Creu Gran from the Terrassa Municipal Archive:

1. Author: Adrià Torija Escrich. 1 January 1885.
2. Author: Unknown. Baltasar Ragón photographic collection. 1 January 1895.
3. Author: Unknown. 1 January 1895.
4. Author: Unknown. 1 January 1900.
5. Author: Unknown. 1 January 1910.

A person of unusual methods

Lloveras claimed to possess divine powers, asserting that he could uncover what people were hiding and proclaiming that he had the gift of healing the sick. After asking Maria a few questions, he told her that the pain tormenting her came from her womb. His prescribed remedy was a spoonful of cane brandy dissolved in half a glass of water, taken three times a day for nine days.

Obediently, the woman followed his instructions. However, it did nothing and the pain persisted, so after the treatment period, she returned to visit him. On that occasion, he prescribed an infusion of the herb mullein. The man instructed her to drink it for nine days, but after four or five days, poor Maria’s condition worsened, and in desperation, she went back to his café. Then the healer gave her a small paper packet containing a white powder. Mixed with fortified wine for three consecutive days, he promised, it would set her right.




Photo of the Plaça de la Creu Gran from the Terrassa Municipal Archive: Author: Unknown. Baltasar Ragón photographic collection. 1 January 1895.

The elixir

At the first dose, Maria was so eager to feel better that she used almost half of the product. She drank it in one gulp. Shortly afterwards, the pain became unbearable. The next day, and the day after that, her condition worsened even though she had moderated the dose… Her husband saw her in such a terrible state that he sent for Lloveras. Lloveras took his time, but eventually he arrived at their home with a new remedy. This time, they were to rinse Maria’s mouth with an elixir he provided. “This will do the trick,” he assured them.

Maria applied it immediately, but soon half of her mouth became paralysed. Fearing that his wife’s life was in danger, and despite not having much money, Maria’s husband went to fetch the doctor Jaume Sallent, who attended to the sick woman. The doctor wanted to understand what had happened, and upon inspecting the white powder, he already had an inkling; but to be certain, he asked chemist Fructuós Verneda to analyse the substance. Verneda arrived at the same conclusion.




Panoramic view of Terrassa. Author: Unknown. 1 January 1864.

Lytta vesicatoria

It was cantharidin powder, also known as the Spanish fly. The insect’s scientific name was Lytta vesicatoria, though it was little like a fly; in reality, it belonged to the beetle family and since ancient times had been believed to possess medicinal properties. It was dried and crushed in a mortar until it became a fine powder. The danger of this remedy was that in excess it could cause serious harmful effects, such as blisters on the skin.

Once she had recovered, Maria went to file a complaint at the town hall. The authorities were not overly surprised by her account, as they had been keeping an eye on the “Wizard” for some time. And not only because people with health problems and little money had sought his help. A few months earlier, in February, a couple of parents had also lodged a complaint against the premises run by this man, because their children, two boys aged 22 and 17, had been going there to play card games, attend orgies, and participate in wild parties involving alcohol and prostitutes, according to their sworn statements.

Through the testimony of both Maria and the two parents, their desperation is palpable. Maria because of her health problems, and the others because they wanted to prevent their children from behaving recklessly and ending up in trouble.


View of Terrassa from Vista Alegre. Author: Unknown. 1 January 1900.

El Vallès Occidental Regional Archive - Terrassa Historical Archive

In the case file against the “Wizard,” which is part of the municipality’s health records, there is no record of what ultimately happened to the healer or his establishment. However, thanks to the press, we have some clues. The newspaper El Tarrasense reported on 30 October 1892 that a fine of 500 pesetas had been imposed on the “famous café owner of the Café Flamenco” in Plaça de la Creu. The “Wizard” must have been quite a character at the time. Reading the file preserved at the El Vallès Occidental Regional Archive – Terrassa Historical Archive, it is easy to understand why.



View of the El Vallès Occidental Regional Archive - Terrassa Historical Archive Author: Unknown.

Do you want to know more details about this story?

Consult the original document on which this story is based at Arxius en Línia (Archives Online).

"Expedient sancionador de salut pública relatiu al cafè de la plaça de la Creu Gran regentat per Marcel·lí Lloveras Cánovas, més conegut com "el Bruixot", acusat de proxenetisme i vendre remeis nocius als seus clients, rep una multa de 500 pessetes"

And if you want to consult it in person at the El Vallès Occidental Regional Archive - Terrassa Historical Archive, ask for the file “CAT ACVOC-AHT, 1/1 Ajuntament de Terrassa, Disciplina i Salut Pública, expedient de 1892”.