Doctor Yah Yah
Doctor Yah Yah was a witch doctor who operated in New Orleans around the same time as Doctor John. He was less well known but still had a considerable amount of clients. Since he was a slave, he violated the tradition that all Voodoo leaders had to be free. Doctor Yah Yah’s real name was George Washington and not too much is known about himself and his practices. He allegedly imitated Doctor John and didn’t add to much of his practices. He was mostly present at the meetings held by Lake Pontchartrain. His talents were fortune telling and healing, just like Doctor John.
Doctor Yah Yah had his practice ended in 1861 quite suddenly when he was put into prison after selling poison to a fruit dealer. The fruit dealer took the potion to a chemist before he used it as a cure for rheumatism. The chemist notified him that this was poison and Doctor Yah Yah’s master had to pay a fine to release him. He was then shipped off to live the rest of his life as a field hand on a plantation.
(Source: Tallant, Robert. Voodoo in New Orleans. 1994)
