DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0307
THE WAYAO OF NYASALAND
291
Again, charm medicine may be contained in various articles which are also generally
worn round the neck. The teeth and claws of the beasts of prey are so employed, generally
arranged in pairs bound together so as to form a crescent and suspended from a string.
The teeth of crocodiles, lions, leopards, and the claws of the same beasts and of some large
birds of prey are thus employed. The teeth etc., are in themselves charms against injury,
probably against what one might call homologous injury. The idea of stuffing them with
medicine is probably a secondary consideration, a process of fortification of the charm so
that its use comes to have a more powerful influence. It is interesting to see of late years
that the native, recognizing the decorative value of these crescent-shaped amulets, has
begun to copy them in lead and ivory. A series of these of graduated size is worn as a neck-
lace by women.
When a medicine-man is consulted, part payment is made in advance, “ payment to
go and dig medicine (roots).” The rest of the payment is made when the cure is effected.
Should a patient not be satisfied with his treatment and wish to consult some other medicine-
man, he pays to the first a quarter of the fee he would have paid if his cure had been effected;
this is called 11 paying him to get his medicine away.” Unless this is done, should he
recover later, he will be liable to claims for full fees from all of the medicine-men he has
consulted; each will say his own medicine has gone on acting and has effected the cure. A
medicine-man may take a case he is treating into his own house.
In prescribing medicine, very particular instructions are given with an embargo on
certain things which may or may not have some use and significance. A medicine-man in
1891 at Malemya’s, who inoculated every one in the forehead with bullet proof medicine,
said that no one must step across a mwisi (pestle for pounding grain), and no one must eat
the leaves of the sweet potato.
A medicine-man always partakes of part of the decoction he is giving to a patient to
show that it is harmless; I think these preparations are mostly inactive. I should hate to
sample all the castor oil I have prescribed, though many natives have had suspicions about
me when I have not done so.
Poisons. Though there are a large number of species in this country, both vegetable
and animal, from which poison might be extracted, those that have gained any reputation
among natives and have come under my observation are but few in number. Mwai (Mwdbvi
Chin.) “the ordeal poison,” is the bark of Erythrophloeum guineaense. The natives distin-
guish two varieties of mwai, the two trees differing slightly in leaf, flower and bark; mwai
is the Erythrophloeum guineaense, the second variety known as mperanjilu is doubtless
an allied species. Mwai is the poison employed in the poison ordeal.1 It is administered
in a poisonous dose as a decoction of the bark, recovery or otherwise depending on
whether or not the poison is voided by vomiting. Natives give as the symptoms headache,
giddiness, disturbances of vision, vomiting and purging, with slowing of heart beat. Mper-
1 Vide infra, p. 296.
291
Again, charm medicine may be contained in various articles which are also generally
worn round the neck. The teeth and claws of the beasts of prey are so employed, generally
arranged in pairs bound together so as to form a crescent and suspended from a string.
The teeth of crocodiles, lions, leopards, and the claws of the same beasts and of some large
birds of prey are thus employed. The teeth etc., are in themselves charms against injury,
probably against what one might call homologous injury. The idea of stuffing them with
medicine is probably a secondary consideration, a process of fortification of the charm so
that its use comes to have a more powerful influence. It is interesting to see of late years
that the native, recognizing the decorative value of these crescent-shaped amulets, has
begun to copy them in lead and ivory. A series of these of graduated size is worn as a neck-
lace by women.
When a medicine-man is consulted, part payment is made in advance, “ payment to
go and dig medicine (roots).” The rest of the payment is made when the cure is effected.
Should a patient not be satisfied with his treatment and wish to consult some other medicine-
man, he pays to the first a quarter of the fee he would have paid if his cure had been effected;
this is called 11 paying him to get his medicine away.” Unless this is done, should he
recover later, he will be liable to claims for full fees from all of the medicine-men he has
consulted; each will say his own medicine has gone on acting and has effected the cure. A
medicine-man may take a case he is treating into his own house.
In prescribing medicine, very particular instructions are given with an embargo on
certain things which may or may not have some use and significance. A medicine-man in
1891 at Malemya’s, who inoculated every one in the forehead with bullet proof medicine,
said that no one must step across a mwisi (pestle for pounding grain), and no one must eat
the leaves of the sweet potato.
A medicine-man always partakes of part of the decoction he is giving to a patient to
show that it is harmless; I think these preparations are mostly inactive. I should hate to
sample all the castor oil I have prescribed, though many natives have had suspicions about
me when I have not done so.
Poisons. Though there are a large number of species in this country, both vegetable
and animal, from which poison might be extracted, those that have gained any reputation
among natives and have come under my observation are but few in number. Mwai (Mwdbvi
Chin.) “the ordeal poison,” is the bark of Erythrophloeum guineaense. The natives distin-
guish two varieties of mwai, the two trees differing slightly in leaf, flower and bark; mwai
is the Erythrophloeum guineaense, the second variety known as mperanjilu is doubtless
an allied species. Mwai is the poison employed in the poison ordeal.1 It is administered
in a poisonous dose as a decoction of the bark, recovery or otherwise depending on
whether or not the poison is voided by vomiting. Natives give as the symptoms headache,
giddiness, disturbances of vision, vomiting and purging, with slowing of heart beat. Mper-
1 Vide infra, p. 296.