Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-02-18
HYGIENE AMONG The zULus.
stinted Use Of Water-simplicity Of Their
Tool-Treatment of Wounds.

ury weather, especially when tll'Y are IN
pCrSpirltion. They avoid bathing except
during heavy rains. when They take adj
vantage of the opportunity for purposes
of bodily cleanliness. Their reasons for
So doing arr that frequent additions de-
bilitatr the system and render ii incapa-
BILE If outstanding the local climate,
and that very frequently lnths are fol-
lowed by I~ualarial fever or cutaneOus
eruptions over the joints. One can ire
uucntly observe the ~veraCity of this as
seriiun. especially as regards the cutane-
on, eruption, which generally aplclrs in
the popltrJl space the very day IA bath is
taken. even during rainy weather.
With sigirt lurNimuny in the Use of
water the Zulus resist remarkably the
danger, Of the climate la which they are
eNIn-el, and my experience tends 10
prove that thON, white, who observe a
dry regimen fare FIR hr'lrr lian those
whn continue Ia follow Tin r home habits.
] had obtalucl tli, Information from
Antoine d'Ahluciy. IL the Institute Oi
France. and certainly found ii applicable
in south africa. We both observed it,
Teachings and lived. while all those
anon my companions who sought relief
in tn i,r u-r uf water in Africa died.
The lhter who bad. like u, alistained
from II, us. since 1879. still live. In
stead # u""ninE the pore, by means Of
baths the natives ~cnGcavur tO close them.
on the contrary. 10y the application Of
fat over the entire body.
The Zulns lead a frugal life. their fool
hriuL or tine simplest kind. They Use hut
little meat, which they Invariably broil.
They eat every part of the animal, in
Gliding the lon,S. and sometimes even
the hide. They make free Use Of the
Elll uf the ANIMALS they eat. To render
the meat tender and prevent Indigestion.
apli> Ing a few drops ovrr tn morsel
they are about to consume. They sleep
on mats, the head resting on blocks of
wool. which hold ii in equilibrium and
Keep ii Good. They rarcli -uiI,r from
headache, neuralgia. etc. owing prob
ably t. this mode of taking r,St. the head
rCt Icing uvrrhcatel. rs il j. among civ
il!z.d people. by feather pillows,
Surgery i, the branch of medical nrt
that. among the Zulus. can hr said Ia In
the most advanced. Their iraIm"ut uf
wound, j. especially remarkable. "Irl in
several complicated caScs treated b. my
self. according 10 the usual methods. for
twn or three months without surpus,.
their native physicians brought dl0ut "A
cure in Il comparatively shot Tune.
Their system j. based princil .ih upon
the earliest possible ubuurariu1 of all
wounds. They first extract the foreign
body. bullet or spicule of bone that may
III" present, in the rudest pr,,iblr manner.
using their fingers or rru-lI t%UrCcItS.
They thea close the wound carefully and
cover it with a thick paste ]cuInpu~gl If
charcoal ami mutton su,l. taking care
that no portion of the ~lar,Ei,pI tissues
remain exposed To the air. They treat
fractures ~ VT do. using pipct~ uf bark.
suitably cut. for spiiut,. | have never
seen iracc> If amputitIun among them.
Swelling, of all kinds. li" early Stages
Of ab~cr>, ~ anthrax. iutlamnatury
rheumatism. etc. are treated hy means
Of ia" bulls uf III" geud~ album. uniun.
wild garlic. etc. The hulh. being STEPPED
in water heated almost 1" tir hp.ing
point, l. applied Wall" still hot. This
treatment i attended with marvellous re-
suits, large and very painful swclliugS
disappearing IN the culr-c Of u few hours.
The secret II their ply -I,laus Is the
proper selection of the bulh, Ia l@ used
in a given case. Another ,aluablr rem
ely much employed by them IN dwellings
and general C%utaneOuS ,ruptiuus. ELEPHANT
iasis, etc. i the wild castor ban. half
the size employed by ~. The Cinzila
Zulus collect it from til" gizzard, If birds
in the half digestcd and frrmrntrl state
in which il i, found thrrr. They ill n
wide muulhed jar with 1t. and allow the
process 81 fermentation To- continue 10y
exposing IL to the sun and air during a
pcriol Of two months. They then crush
the mas ami mix il with water. stirring
at the same time. The oil found floating
upon the surface literally m"lrs away the
swelling Of sprains, rheumatism, etc, 5 o
great is its beneficial power, II must not
b. forgotten. however. that other ingre-
dlcnts, unknown 10 me, may play ri i'm
portant part in the results obtained.
In the treatment Of general diseases
they resort. with but little Success. how
ever, to the consumption Of portions Of
organs corresponding with the organs
diseased II they suppose that the liver
is the scat If trouble. they administer
liver. etc, Gall il used 10y them 10 two
or three drop doses in the treatment Of
dyspepsia. Ia fcvcrs they uN' ]l~'ucii0ns
Of bitt'r plants. which DO not strm Of
much benefit. For tPUia sodium they
use kous-D and detection, Of squash seed.
On the Wbulu. II pcm, To- mr that the
remedial measures rrsortrd 10 10y the
Zulus are WORTHY Of sonn investigation.
! believe. however. that missionaries
nlone would inspire sufficient confidence
at this time Ia obtain from them an in
sight into their methods. il H. a notable
fact that those natives who arc truly
yerscl In the art of healing rhose alluded
10 above being ~ much lower ORDER are
few and closely connected with the king.
The results obtained by these mcQ are
frequently remarkable. \ missionary
well known 10 them, and accredited by
some government. bearing NJ the same
time som" such present as u gun, a hale
Of cotton, ptC,, could obtain Permission
from tlu king 10 question his physicians,
..Itrl. al. ..HF.lsW4H W.L..l...s .ea