Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-10
MEDICINES OF sAvAGES..
Their Medical Practice Said to Be . Fascinating Subject-S0me
 Ancient Remedfes.

The medical practice of savages is rather fascinating subject for per- sons gifted with imagination, ex- cept, unfortunately, the class that ought to feel specific interest in it, says the London Standard. Many doctors, no doubt, have imag- ination enough, and some, perhaps, observe the methods of their ina tive" confreres; but it is not easy to come across one of that kind. In general they ignore all remedies (which are not entered in books, and smile-sometimes mpatiently-when old residents tell them of cures eff fected by local practitioner hung with charms, or an ancient negress. But European science was not rev elation Even the Greeks collected all they knew by patiently observ- ing leases" and writing down the particulars from age to age, as we know by the testimony of the rec ords found some years ago in ex- ploring the Temple hospital at Epi- daurus. Miche1et declares flatly, in his renowned book, La Sorcerie," that the modern principles of medi- cine and surgery were discovered by the witches. They first practised an- atomy and overthrow the supersti- tious reverence for Galen and Hip operates; and he cites Paracelsus as stating that all the best of his knowledge had been gathered from those beldames. If French and Ger man witches showed such ability, it is probable, to say the least, that their black and brown comrades of the present day have something to teach us. And Englishmen who know most about them hold that opinion decidedly. It is firmly believed on the Gold Coast, by men of long ex- perience, that the black doctors there, women mostly, can cure all the local maladies. They say that when ssthe fever" has reached it's man has withdrawn, there are ne- gresses who can bring the patient round. Hearing this report, one nat urally asks why so many poor fel- lows are allowed to die? But the answer is reasonable. "I consult these women myself" said mer- chant, .'but how could I summon them to clerk of mine who was i'll? If he died, and his parents learned that I had put him into the hands of negress, I am not sure they could not prosecute me for manslaughter. Anyhow, should be ruined. rtdently it is so, and therefor $ the sick man him. e-S1JG 4 mains in charge of the medical of ficer, and surely dies if he becomes comatose.
 The late Mary Kingsley never found "any trace of q really valuable drug in all the herbal remedies of these people"-the West African ne- roes-though she freely admits that they have methods of treatment which prove every useful'' But if the lady were qualified to judge, her opportunities must have been limit ed. Prima facie, it would seem ex- traordinary if races who have the deep and varied knowledge of poisonous plants, for which all writers give them credit, herself included, should not have discovered any beneficent spe- cies. Travellers of former day gave another report; they did not carry medicine chests, and when seriously ill they were dependent on t1ie native doctors. A common Sangalla'' re- lieved Bruce of dysentery by admin istering the pounded root of a shrub; further, Bruce introduced the remedy to England on his return. Tavernier rrfxy a cfrs 1f of the Hottentots. Nineteen men aboard the vessel in which he reached Cape Town were very i'll of fever, scurvy, ulcers and wounds. Four trust ed themselves to the Dutch doctors, and of these we hear nothing. But 15 were ''put into the hands of the Caffres,'' as he calls the Hottentots. Each had two Caffres to attend him, who, as soon as they saw what was wrong, sought the herbs necessary, which they crushed between stones." And in a fortnight all had recovered. Further, Breton gentleman, who was passen- ger, had been bitten so terribly by mosquitoes that his legs threatened to mortify. The surgeons at Cape Town declared that nothing could save his life except amputation; but when "the Caffres" heard of it they offered to cure him, and they did so. Tavernier relates all this as an incident of his voyage; he draws no moral or conclu- sion. In 1885 the government of Cape Colony invited reports from magis- trates, traders, missionaries, and oth- CTS, familiar with native habits and ideas, upon the various questions. All these practical authorities agreed that one terrible class of malady takes hold upon the Kaffir population, and several of them gave the reasonable medicine men have a remedy which very seldom fails. All the answers were published in blue book and much discussed Has any doctor or scientific person made inquiries about this precious se- cret? It would be a gold mine to the 1iscoverer if authenticated, but we undexstand that nobody has taken a step in the matter, so far as is known Putting drugs aside, however, Miss Kingsley admits that the negro has some excellent ideas in the way of treatment.
 HUMOROUS.