St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-23
KAFFlR DOCTORS.
Most Of Them Are Shameless Quacks Who
Pretend to Cure Every Ill.


Pretend to Cure Every Ill.
The wizard or witch doctor is a very
cunning. shrewd fellow, and he must
also be a doctor of medicine. Rain
doctors are supposed to have the power
ofcausing rain to fall, and are appealed
to after long drought; but they are
clover enough never to commence their
incantations until indications of rain
are discernible and consequently they
are always sure of success. Next come
the lightning doctors, who dance
around the kraals they have been sum-
moned to defend, brandishing their
assegais during the flashes and violence
of the storm in a manner that suggests
insanity to the European observer.
Naturally they are more frequently
successful than unsuccessful. The hail
doctors, again, believe that by burning
medicine while the hail is yet distant
they diminish its power. and that when
they leave their huts to command it to
depart it will return whence it came.
Last, but not least, is the medicine doc
tor. Sickness, the natives believe, is al
ways caused by an enemy, or by the will
of the spirits of their departed ancestors
or relatives who generally protect them
from harm. but who, being somewhat
angry. allow sickness to overtake them
or the Vaccinations of their enemies
to prevail. The doctors father and
grandfather have generally been in
the profession before him, and the Sc
crets of the healing art have thus been
handed down from generation to gene
ration; though in some instances he
is self-taught man, who has picked
up some knowledge Of diseases. roots
and herbs, by observation and expert
ence; but no faith whatever is reposed
in a doctor or diviner who happens to
be fat. The medicines employed are
mostly innocent, but still many power
full drugs are included in their pharma-
copeia for instance, they use the male
fern Gnkomankoma, lastred felix mas)
as a remedy for tape-worm, emetics by
the gallon for slight ailments, and as
correctiyes after their beer-drinking
orgies, other medicaments. so power
full that whole families, both black
and white, have been carried off
by their felonious administration
but their useful medicines are so
mixed up with useless authorizations that
in most cases it would be better for the
patient to throw physic to the dogs. "
1t used to be the case of mo cure, no
pay" for according to their law, if the
patients died or did not recover until
another medical man had been called
in, the doctor got no payment; but in
Natal now, on first attendance, the
doctor requires preliminary fee of
ten shillings, nominally to buy medi-
cine;. but at the same time he stipulates
for receiving bullock IN case of a
cure being effected. As arule they adj
minister harmless drugs, thinking it
safest to believe in the motto of ''Vis
nature" for there is no
doubt the majority are the most arrant
quacks ever known. Some who rank
high in the profession travel from
place to place, and, as the result of
their skill and knowledge of human
nature. return home after an absence
of months, OF it may be years. rich in
the possessions Of large herds OF cat
tie. The doctor of medicine is also
often witch-doctor, and so combines
in one knowledge of the two
branches of the professionalism,
"1aoessty Years IN South africa" !"