DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49270#0037
St wan Customs
17
Blood-letting, cautery and setons are also much used at Siwah.61
A great many other charms and cures are used for all sorts of things, good and bad.62
61 In addition to the remedies listed above, C. V. B. Stanley, op. cit., p. 30 sqq. gives the following: -
“I. For Headache:—•
a) Rubbing with vinegar made from Labgi [leg. lakbi = palm wine].
b) A paste made of Henna and salt applied to the head.
c) Laddin (chewing gum) is chewed and put on the temples on each side.
d) A thick Arab dikka is taken from a pair of drawers, tied round the forehead, and twisted tight by means of a
key. The position of the key is changed from time to time — half an hour daily (morning and evening) for three
days completes the cure.
e) Cautery to parietal, frontal or temporal region. Firing is commonly used for pain in any region.
f) Blood-letting from the temples.
II. Cold in the Head: —
Burnt sugar inhaled through the nostrils.
III. Ear Troubles: —
A mixture of salt, oil, onion juice and myrrh is used in the form of drops.
IV. Teeth: —
a) Concentrated boiled tea without sugar is used hot as a gargle.
b) Gargle of infusion of cloves.
c) Young onion shoots roasted on fire and the vapor inhaled.
d) The yoke of hard boiled eggs applied hot as a paste.
e) The rib of a leaf from plug tobacco is stuck in the cavity of a tooth.
f) Gargle of vinegar.
V. Chest Troubles: —
a) Cupping — a small clay cup is used.
b) Blood-letting from the arm,-and rarely from the chest itself.
c) Eating large quantities of raw eggs.
d) Drinking hot water.
e) Bambouf [sic] leaves are boiled and the patient sits over the vapor, which ascends under his cloths.
VI. Abdomen:—•
b) For constipation either olive oil or salt in large quantities.
d) Rubbing for three days with olive oil.
e) Garlic is boiled with meat and eaten.
VII. Pains in the Back: —
a) Rubbing with olive oil.
b) Bloodletting.
c) Bran heated and applied as a dry poultice.
d) Cactus leaves heated and applied.
VIII. Whitlows: —
a) Egg plant heated and worn as a finger glove.
b) Roasted onion is used in the same way.
c) If the whitlow is open squashed dates are applied to the wound.
cl) Bees’ honey is applied to an open wound. This is an Arab remedy.
IX. For wounds in general: —
a) Spider’s webs are mixed with dates, dried, and used as powder or paste daily.
b) Benzoin used in powder.
c) Kohl stick.
d) Mixture of sugar and salt (also Arab).
X. Inflammation:—-
a) Bran poultices.
b) Hot leaves of cactus.
c) Hot cow droppings.
d) Strips of an old girbe or waterskin, which has been used for holding oil, are heated and applied.
e) Rubbing with an infusion of Inab el Dyb.
XI. Gonorrhoea: —
a) Eating bees’ honey in the early morning is a common treatment.
b) Drinking large quantities of barley water — this is rarely used.
XII. Syphilis. Djerubb:—
a) A sore is treated like an ordinary wound.
b) The eruption is treated by continual washing in a spring — any spring will do.
c) The eating of dog’s flesh is supposed to be very beneficial; it is always done in secret.
Puppies are only eaten by the people who want to put on flesh.
XIII. Fractures: —
a) Strips of palm ribs are applied with leather thongs and used as splints.
b) New cloth is wound round the limb and a paste of eggs and powdered lentils put on as a stiffening.
XV. Burns: —
a) For simple scorching cold water is poured on.
b) If skin broken [sic], salt or salt water applied.
c) A hot freshly killed rabbit’s skin is applied.
17
Blood-letting, cautery and setons are also much used at Siwah.61
A great many other charms and cures are used for all sorts of things, good and bad.62
61 In addition to the remedies listed above, C. V. B. Stanley, op. cit., p. 30 sqq. gives the following: -
“I. For Headache:—•
a) Rubbing with vinegar made from Labgi [leg. lakbi = palm wine].
b) A paste made of Henna and salt applied to the head.
c) Laddin (chewing gum) is chewed and put on the temples on each side.
d) A thick Arab dikka is taken from a pair of drawers, tied round the forehead, and twisted tight by means of a
key. The position of the key is changed from time to time — half an hour daily (morning and evening) for three
days completes the cure.
e) Cautery to parietal, frontal or temporal region. Firing is commonly used for pain in any region.
f) Blood-letting from the temples.
II. Cold in the Head: —
Burnt sugar inhaled through the nostrils.
III. Ear Troubles: —
A mixture of salt, oil, onion juice and myrrh is used in the form of drops.
IV. Teeth: —
a) Concentrated boiled tea without sugar is used hot as a gargle.
b) Gargle of infusion of cloves.
c) Young onion shoots roasted on fire and the vapor inhaled.
d) The yoke of hard boiled eggs applied hot as a paste.
e) The rib of a leaf from plug tobacco is stuck in the cavity of a tooth.
f) Gargle of vinegar.
V. Chest Troubles: —
a) Cupping — a small clay cup is used.
b) Blood-letting from the arm,-and rarely from the chest itself.
c) Eating large quantities of raw eggs.
d) Drinking hot water.
e) Bambouf [sic] leaves are boiled and the patient sits over the vapor, which ascends under his cloths.
VI. Abdomen:—•
b) For constipation either olive oil or salt in large quantities.
d) Rubbing for three days with olive oil.
e) Garlic is boiled with meat and eaten.
VII. Pains in the Back: —
a) Rubbing with olive oil.
b) Bloodletting.
c) Bran heated and applied as a dry poultice.
d) Cactus leaves heated and applied.
VIII. Whitlows: —
a) Egg plant heated and worn as a finger glove.
b) Roasted onion is used in the same way.
c) If the whitlow is open squashed dates are applied to the wound.
cl) Bees’ honey is applied to an open wound. This is an Arab remedy.
IX. For wounds in general: —
a) Spider’s webs are mixed with dates, dried, and used as powder or paste daily.
b) Benzoin used in powder.
c) Kohl stick.
d) Mixture of sugar and salt (also Arab).
X. Inflammation:—-
a) Bran poultices.
b) Hot leaves of cactus.
c) Hot cow droppings.
d) Strips of an old girbe or waterskin, which has been used for holding oil, are heated and applied.
e) Rubbing with an infusion of Inab el Dyb.
XI. Gonorrhoea: —
a) Eating bees’ honey in the early morning is a common treatment.
b) Drinking large quantities of barley water — this is rarely used.
XII. Syphilis. Djerubb:—
a) A sore is treated like an ordinary wound.
b) The eruption is treated by continual washing in a spring — any spring will do.
c) The eating of dog’s flesh is supposed to be very beneficial; it is always done in secret.
Puppies are only eaten by the people who want to put on flesh.
XIII. Fractures: —
a) Strips of palm ribs are applied with leather thongs and used as splints.
b) New cloth is wound round the limb and a paste of eggs and powdered lentils put on as a stiffening.
XV. Burns: —
a) For simple scorching cold water is poured on.
b) If skin broken [sic], salt or salt water applied.
c) A hot freshly killed rabbit’s skin is applied.