DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0245
The Kababish, a Sudan Arab tribe
183
vance at the present day in functional form of a pre-Islamic custom. In conclusion we
would point out that the Kababish have settled in a country where the natural condi-
tions are so similar to those of Arabia that there has been no need for any considerable
change in mode of life or thought, so that it is only natural that they should carry on
such traditions of pre-Islamic or early Islamic times as are not fundamentally opposed
to the doctrines of Islam.
APPENDIX
Pathological conditions. It was soon bruited about that one of the visitors to Showa was a
physician, and after a few days a fairly steady flow of patients presented themselves for treatment, coming
in some instances a considerable distance; so that although our visit lasted only a few weeks, it seems
probable that the cases seen represent a fair sample of the prevailing morbid conditions, with the excep-
tion that it included no very old or infirm people, who would as far as possible stay behind at the perma-
nent wells. As far as we know Palgrave is the only author who has given any connected account of the
morbid conditions existing among Arabs, and though his account refers to the town-dwellers of Riad in
Central Arabia rather than to the nomads, still it is undoubtedly useful from the point of view of com-
parison.111
Diseases of the digestive system were common among the Kababish, a more or less chronic form of
dyspepsia being the most frequent. “ No wonder, where dry dates and ill baked unleavened bread, with
an occasional gorging of badly cooked mutton, is all the diet... .”. So wrote Palgrave, and few will
doubt the validity of his reasoning. The treatment consists of the actual cautery liberally applied to
the pit of the stomach and neighbouring parts of the abdomen. No clear cases of gastric ulcer were
seen, but we have notes of one case which suggested perforation and encapsulation between the liver
and diaphragm. Palgrave regarded gastric ulcer as common, and notes that in his ‘ short and limited
practise” he had “two cases where sudden and violent peritonitis, followed by speedy dissolution, suc-
ceeded long gastric derangement, and was. . . .the result of perforation.”
Appendicitis is perhaps not uncommon. The one case seen presented typical recurrent attacks
of moderate severity.
No cases of dysentery were seen; sporadic cases were said to occur, and attacks of severe diarrhoea
were by no means uncommon.
Pulmonary troubles were frequent but usually slight; bronchitis was common, and when severe
was treated by the actual cautery. No case even suggesting phthisis was seen, nor indeed any form of
tuberculosis, a contrast in this respect with the conditions noted by Palgrave, who found “ abdominal
phthisis ” common, the “ pectoral ” disease being for the most part secondary or “ absent altogether, at
least in the manifest indications of its existence.”
Malaria is said to be prevalent during the rainy season, but not to be severe or dangerous to life
except in infants, of whom a few are said to die from this cause each year. The more or less chronic
cases that came for treatment were quartan, and yielded readily to quinine. No case of malarial cachexia
was seen.
Rheumatism for the most part in the form of muscular pains, was common. One case of rheumatic
fever was seen. The patient, a vigorous man of about thirty, was beginning to recover when first visited,
but still had a temperature and tender joints as well as a slightly distended heart and a soft systolic
murmur. He improved rapidly under salicylates, and in a month was leading his usual active life.
111 It will be remembered that Palgrave assumed the role of a Syrian physician. He certainly had a good knowl-
edge of medicine. The quotations in this section refer to chapter X of his Narrative.
183
vance at the present day in functional form of a pre-Islamic custom. In conclusion we
would point out that the Kababish have settled in a country where the natural condi-
tions are so similar to those of Arabia that there has been no need for any considerable
change in mode of life or thought, so that it is only natural that they should carry on
such traditions of pre-Islamic or early Islamic times as are not fundamentally opposed
to the doctrines of Islam.
APPENDIX
Pathological conditions. It was soon bruited about that one of the visitors to Showa was a
physician, and after a few days a fairly steady flow of patients presented themselves for treatment, coming
in some instances a considerable distance; so that although our visit lasted only a few weeks, it seems
probable that the cases seen represent a fair sample of the prevailing morbid conditions, with the excep-
tion that it included no very old or infirm people, who would as far as possible stay behind at the perma-
nent wells. As far as we know Palgrave is the only author who has given any connected account of the
morbid conditions existing among Arabs, and though his account refers to the town-dwellers of Riad in
Central Arabia rather than to the nomads, still it is undoubtedly useful from the point of view of com-
parison.111
Diseases of the digestive system were common among the Kababish, a more or less chronic form of
dyspepsia being the most frequent. “ No wonder, where dry dates and ill baked unleavened bread, with
an occasional gorging of badly cooked mutton, is all the diet... .”. So wrote Palgrave, and few will
doubt the validity of his reasoning. The treatment consists of the actual cautery liberally applied to
the pit of the stomach and neighbouring parts of the abdomen. No clear cases of gastric ulcer were
seen, but we have notes of one case which suggested perforation and encapsulation between the liver
and diaphragm. Palgrave regarded gastric ulcer as common, and notes that in his ‘ short and limited
practise” he had “two cases where sudden and violent peritonitis, followed by speedy dissolution, suc-
ceeded long gastric derangement, and was. . . .the result of perforation.”
Appendicitis is perhaps not uncommon. The one case seen presented typical recurrent attacks
of moderate severity.
No cases of dysentery were seen; sporadic cases were said to occur, and attacks of severe diarrhoea
were by no means uncommon.
Pulmonary troubles were frequent but usually slight; bronchitis was common, and when severe
was treated by the actual cautery. No case even suggesting phthisis was seen, nor indeed any form of
tuberculosis, a contrast in this respect with the conditions noted by Palgrave, who found “ abdominal
phthisis ” common, the “ pectoral ” disease being for the most part secondary or “ absent altogether, at
least in the manifest indications of its existence.”
Malaria is said to be prevalent during the rainy season, but not to be severe or dangerous to life
except in infants, of whom a few are said to die from this cause each year. The more or less chronic
cases that came for treatment were quartan, and yielded readily to quinine. No case of malarial cachexia
was seen.
Rheumatism for the most part in the form of muscular pains, was common. One case of rheumatic
fever was seen. The patient, a vigorous man of about thirty, was beginning to recover when first visited,
but still had a temperature and tender joints as well as a slightly distended heart and a soft systolic
murmur. He improved rapidly under salicylates, and in a month was leading his usual active life.
111 It will be remembered that Palgrave assumed the role of a Syrian physician. He certainly had a good knowl-
edge of medicine. The quotations in this section refer to chapter X of his Narrative.