The history of Memphis spiritual workers includes a number of fascinating personalities. Given the cultural and social challenges that many traditional healers had to maneuver through, the mere act of opening a spiritual supply store much less coming out as a healer to the community could be risky. As many healers were plagued with the threat of being arrested for practicing medicine without a license, the risk that some that were less than forthcoming about their remedies increased stress for local healers.
One such healer was Dr. Samuel P. Shokunbi. Dr. Shokunbi operated the African Herb & Chemical Company at 565 N. Second Street in Memphis. Shokunbi claimed to have come from West Africa to the United States in 1921. Called a ‘Memphis Witch Doctor’ in the local press, Shokunbi offered a number of herbal remedies from his shop. Shokunbi’s products included names like Asthma Aid, Herbal Hair Growing Aid, Dr. Shokunbi’s Nervine and Dr. Shokunbi’s Tree of Life. Shokunbi advertised his remedies in local radio spots including a famous commercial that was read by famed record producer and Sun Records founder Sam Phillips and the Five Voice Singers of Memphis.
Available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEC3NbYdpZA
Shokunbi claimed to be an herbalist from Nigeria who had studied at Oxford and Heidelberg. Shokunbi was alleged by the local press to have actually been born in Chicago in 1896. It was discovered that his education consisted of having training in Swedish massage. Shokunbi claimed to have his inspiration and herbal wisdom from English herbalist Dr. Culpeper. Most likely the legendary Dr. Nicholas Culpeper, author of Culpeper’s Complete Herbal.
Shokunbi was arrested in Lexington Tennessee in 1949 for practicing medicine without a license. Doctor Shokunbi had previously served a federal prison sentence from 1927 to 1931 as a result of a case in St. Louis, Missouri where he was convicted of mail fraud. He attested to having legal troubles in Arkansas, Illinois and Tennessee. Shokunbi operated with an associate James S. Poe that got into legal trouble in Jackson Tennessee in 1949 as well.
In November 1950 Shokunbi was charged with ‘selling herbal medicines in Interstate Commerce which carried labels with fraudulent and misleading advertising’. He was given a nine-year prison term and fined $9000.00 under the Food and Drug Administration. Local newspapers mocked his tribal scars and joked that his products were tinctures made from dried newt’s liver.
Government chemists tested his ‘Asthma Aid’ and other remedies only to find that he was using small herbs extracts, sugar and water. During his height in sales the doctor employed 23 agents to sell his herbs. In court there were witnesses who took his remedies that testified that they worked. A minister shared with the court that Shokunbi was paying bishops of churches to promote his products to their congregations.
Doctor David Macht, a famous physician from Baltimore testified against Shokunbi in court. Newspapers described the doctor as ‘brilliant’ and ‘spellbinding’ in his testimony. Macht looked at medicines including Shokunbi’s ‘Asthma Aid’, ‘Tree of Life’, ‘Nervine’ and ‘Hair Growing Aid’. He advised the court that some of the medicines contained ingredients that could be poisonous at high levels. A Reverend R.T. Davis from St. Louis testified that he had bought 54 bottles of Shokunbi’s medicines through the mail.
In 1966 Shokunbi was arrested in Chicago. He was using the title ‘Reverend Shokunbi’ and was calling himself a metaphysician. Newpapers reported that police discovered patent drugs and zodiac stamps in his home. Shokunbi advised police that he was a member of the Universal Spiritual Union.
Doctor Shokunbi is one of the many spiritual personalities that we find in Memphis history. History will tell us if he was a healer, a fraud or just severely misunderstood.
Sources:
Memphis Press Scimitar October 30th, 1950
Memphis Press Scimitar October 31st, 1950
Memphis Press Scimitar November 1st, 1950
Notices of Judgement Under the Federal Food, Drug …, Issue 2501, Part 4000
