The Grenada gazette., 1888-06-30
kAFFlR DOCTORS,
Most OF Them Are Shameless Ouacks Who
Pretend to Cure Every Ill.

AietVnu ~ NuTe Every
The wizard or witch doctor is 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 a long drought; but they are
clever enough never to commence their
incantalions until indications of rain
are dscerniblc 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 vet 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 doe
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
OF the Vaccinations of their enemies
to prevail. The doctors father and
grandfather have generally been in
the profession before him. and the Sc.
nrets of the healing art have thus been
handed down from generation to gene.
.ation; though in some instances he.
8 self-taught man, who has picked
lp some knowledge of diseases, roots
md herbs, by observation and exper-
'nce but no faith whatever is reposed
II doctor or diviner who happens to
'e fat. The medicines employed are
mostly innocent, but still many power
al drugs are included in their pharma-
opela; for instance, they use the male
ern (inkomankoma, lastred felix mas)
3 remedy for tape-worm, emetics by
he gallon for slight ailments. and as
after their beer.drinking
rgies, other medicaments. so power
al that whole families, both black
nd white, have been carried off
y their felonious administration j:
ut their useful medicines are SO
liked upwith useless authorizations that
most cases it would be better for the
atient to throw physic to the dogs"
used to be the case OF mo cure, no
ay;' for according to thcp law. if the
atients died or did not recover until
lother medical man had been called {
+, the doctor got no payment; but in I
atal now, on first attendance, the I
'ctor requires a preliminary fee of c
Il shlllings, nominaliy to buy medi- /
ne; but at the same time he stipulates q
r receiving bullock IN case Of C
re being effected. As rule they ad- |
mister harmless drugs. thinking it t
fest to believe in the motto Of "Vis l
edicatrx nature for there is no S
ubt the ma jority are the most arrant q
acks ever known. Some who rank b
Oh in the profession travel from II
ace 70 place, and, as the result of p
eir skill and knowledge of human n
ture, return home after an absence e
months, or it may be years. rich in c'
e possessions Of large herds Of cat
;. The doctor of medicine is also 4,
:en a witch.doctor, and SO combines 81
one a knowledge of the two h
inches of the profession. From it
'Wenty Years in South Africa.n p