DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0306
290
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
Simple incision is practiced for relief of pain or again “ medicine ” may be introduced
into the wound. Such medicine usually consists of charcoal prepared from various vege-
table substances. There is no evidence that any active medicinal principles are involved
and the most that is attained is probably a certain amount of counter-irritation. For pain,
a string is tied tightly round the part; thus for headache one sees a string tied round the
head and doubtless some relief is felt when pressure is made on the temples. A man with
an abscess of the hand or foot will tie a string round the arm or leg, but I have never seen
it so applied as to produce any effect comparable to that of Bier’s hyperaemic treatment.
By analogy a string may be worn round the chest for pleuritic pain and by limiting
movement may be effective. In many cases a charm is attached to the string as an
adjuvant.
The use of drugs as such is widespread but I have very little evidence of their efficacy. The
methods of administration are various. The vapor bath is often used. Over a pot of water
in which have been dropped herbs and stones heated in a fire, the patient squats enveloped
in a blanket and is thereby subjected to the action of the medicated steam. This method
is also adopted for exorcism. A case which came recently to my notice was the wife of a
native hospital dresser who, suffering pain in the abdomen, avoided my ministrations and
consulted a female medicine-maker. She was given a vapor bath as above described and
after a few moments, the medicine-woman clapped her on the back and told her to rise.
The old woman plunged her hands into the pot and brought forth some human hair tied
in a piece of calico and a human metacarpal bone. “ These are what troubled you,” she
said — fee £1! This is called ku-logolola, to take evil things out for.
Various powdered barks and leaves are applied to ulcers and appear to have an astrin-
gent effect in some cases but the majority seem to go from bad to worse. No other external
applications have been observed except one for scabies. Incision of the skin and insertion
of “ medicine ” have been mentioned above.
Large numbers of vegetable products are administered by mouth, always in the form
of an infusion or suspension. It is probable that a number of these are really beneficial
but I am not able to speak in detail of their effects. Many astringents are undoubtedly
used for diarrhoea. Herbs containing oil are used for gonorrhoea.
Apart from magic medicine dealt with elsewhere and commonly employed for purposes
outside disease, charms are used for the prevention and treatment of ordinary diseases and
injuries. There are only a few varieties of charms. A vegetable substance, root or stem,
may be worn on a string round the part of the body concerned. Thus one sees a couple
of little pieces of stick, mbiji, on a string tied round the head, round the arm or round the
chest for headache, a whitlow or diarrhoea as the case may be. The medicine may be in
the form of a preparation, generally charred vegetable substances, and is made into a little
packet in leaves and cloth worn most commonly round the neck; it is called katumwa.
Such a charm is supposed to be effective against all ills.
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
Simple incision is practiced for relief of pain or again “ medicine ” may be introduced
into the wound. Such medicine usually consists of charcoal prepared from various vege-
table substances. There is no evidence that any active medicinal principles are involved
and the most that is attained is probably a certain amount of counter-irritation. For pain,
a string is tied tightly round the part; thus for headache one sees a string tied round the
head and doubtless some relief is felt when pressure is made on the temples. A man with
an abscess of the hand or foot will tie a string round the arm or leg, but I have never seen
it so applied as to produce any effect comparable to that of Bier’s hyperaemic treatment.
By analogy a string may be worn round the chest for pleuritic pain and by limiting
movement may be effective. In many cases a charm is attached to the string as an
adjuvant.
The use of drugs as such is widespread but I have very little evidence of their efficacy. The
methods of administration are various. The vapor bath is often used. Over a pot of water
in which have been dropped herbs and stones heated in a fire, the patient squats enveloped
in a blanket and is thereby subjected to the action of the medicated steam. This method
is also adopted for exorcism. A case which came recently to my notice was the wife of a
native hospital dresser who, suffering pain in the abdomen, avoided my ministrations and
consulted a female medicine-maker. She was given a vapor bath as above described and
after a few moments, the medicine-woman clapped her on the back and told her to rise.
The old woman plunged her hands into the pot and brought forth some human hair tied
in a piece of calico and a human metacarpal bone. “ These are what troubled you,” she
said — fee £1! This is called ku-logolola, to take evil things out for.
Various powdered barks and leaves are applied to ulcers and appear to have an astrin-
gent effect in some cases but the majority seem to go from bad to worse. No other external
applications have been observed except one for scabies. Incision of the skin and insertion
of “ medicine ” have been mentioned above.
Large numbers of vegetable products are administered by mouth, always in the form
of an infusion or suspension. It is probable that a number of these are really beneficial
but I am not able to speak in detail of their effects. Many astringents are undoubtedly
used for diarrhoea. Herbs containing oil are used for gonorrhoea.
Apart from magic medicine dealt with elsewhere and commonly employed for purposes
outside disease, charms are used for the prevention and treatment of ordinary diseases and
injuries. There are only a few varieties of charms. A vegetable substance, root or stem,
may be worn on a string round the part of the body concerned. Thus one sees a couple
of little pieces of stick, mbiji, on a string tied round the head, round the arm or round the
chest for headache, a whitlow or diarrhoea as the case may be. The medicine may be in
the form of a preparation, generally charred vegetable substances, and is made into a little
packet in leaves and cloth worn most commonly round the neck; it is called katumwa.
Such a charm is supposed to be effective against all ills.