Evening star., 1932-03-06

After having been despSeo
and laughed at since the be-
ginning of time, medical experts nave come 10
the conclusion that the kraal sage is often
something more than a mere mountebank and
that good deal of his knowledge covers sub
iects on which Western ssearchers have as yet
no data.
Those bead hung white painted medicine
men of the tribal villages with their pouches
of animal skin, all crammed with roots bits OF
bone and other apparent junk, are now proved
to be the possessors of information which hos
ptals. universities and laboratories in better
settled continents are eager to apply.
Witch doctors isanusiS, ngakas, dingakaS-
whatever other titles they give thenselves-are
the oldest physicians in the world. They are
found from Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope and
from the Gulf of Guinea to the Red Sea- In Ine
hip cities which the white man has built in
their territories they wear ragged clothes and
choose their quarters in slums where they are
not noticed by the police; out on the veldt and
away in the forest they go in all the splenoor
Of immemorial savagery-panted and tattooeo
in hideoJ5 colors, with anklets Of seed pods or
dogs teeth kits of monkey skin and con-
sultng room" which, more often than not, is a
cave up a mountainsde.
Yet even here modernity has intruded. Under
the law as 1t today exists, the practice OF most
native medicine is forbidden. The various gov
ernments have seen too many horrors, human
sacrifices, mutilationS, murders OF twins and
other abuses recommended by the wizards to
tolerate them.
Pretending to the possession of supernatural
powers" selling charms for invisibility" or
smelling -out as wizard" are among the ccm-
monest charges in the court houses OF colonial
villages or under tree of justice" where the
white officials in the bush administer the law.
TOR the purpose of fighting for the rights CT
the jungle medico in his numerous varieties,
the principal of trade unionism has lately come
int use!
On.y short time ago the "Transvaal Ding
akas Association" with which are associated
similar bodies in other parts Of South Africa
held its first convention at the City of Johan-
nesbu!g
Never in history has there been a more Curl
Gus assembly than that of the several hunoreo
black men and women (the right of the woman
doctor to practice was acknowledged In the
African kraals thousand years before 1t was
done in America and Europe) who lately fore
gathered in hail. there to discuss the prop
lens and methods of the profession of juju
OLD -wooled fellows, whose sole garment
is a red or a yellow blanket; fat, sleek good
wives in purple headcloth and caricature OF
Paris frock bought at some trading store;
Young aggressively smiling apprentices to the
trade; hawkers of charms professicT2"l "rain-
makers" from the country and a 5co"e OF other
types were represented in the crowd that squat
ted on the floor debating with all the punctih-
Gus ceremonial of the tribal meeting place how
the Government might be induced to exteno
more tolerance to folk who often the only
medical advisers for millions of blacks.
Unlike the continents Africa has too few
colley TRAINED doctors. There enough
sometimes more than enough in most towns,
but out in the backveldt there is shortage
running into thousands. In the Union OF
South Africa alone, the British dominion at
the Cape which is further developed than any
other area the government lately announced
that at least l,50O additional medical men are
needed
So the Dingakas Union was not merely talk
ing nonsense when it resolved that the knoWl-
edge of its members valuable asset which
even the white people need not despise ana
called upon the government to issue licenses
to the wizards as ii did to their rivals from
the universities.
On the last occasion, however, another point
cropped up.
The White People my brothers and sisters, :"
said an isanusi from Zululand, "are trying to
learn our own witchcraft. They have sent men
to collect knowledge. When they know
everything they can do without and will for
bid our work more strictly than nov.
So must not tell them word of what
know"
'Hauw! Hauw!" applauded the conference.
and all the members pledged themselves to
lend no aid to the wicked efforts of the Euro
peans.