Bantu Folk Lore (Medical and General)Hewat, Matthew L.
Science
Bantu Folk Lore (Medical and General)
Hewat, Matthew L.
Pondo (African people); Traditional medicine -- South Africa; Xhosa (African people); Zulu (African people)
Next day a fire is made of sneezewood on the spot of slaughter i.e. the
centre of the cattle fold and, with the exception of the women’s
portion, (the inferior pieces) the meat is brought to the fire where it
is roasted or boiled and around which it is eaten; the internal fat
around kidneys, etc., “in-thukuhla” being given to the “imi-Nyanga”
(ghosts) before the general cooking commences.
The whole of the animal is consumed that day. It is simply astonishing
what an enormous quantity of meat can be consumed by a Kaffir on these
occasions.
Frequently there is a great deal of Kaffir beer, (an intoxicating
beverage brewed by the natives from Kaffir corn), consumed at these
functions, and as a consequence much debauchery, often ending in
bloodshed occurs.
At these sacrifices the women have their own little demonstration with
the children at the calves’-fold.
In the case of sacrifices by chiefs on great occasions, carcases are
sometimes wholly burned.
Amulets and Charms are often worn by the natives, such as:—
1. Necklace of the long hairs of a cow’s tail plaited together. The cow
furnishing the hairs is held sacred and never killed or sold.
2. Seeds of the rhiza to keep away convulsions, worn by infants.
3. Pieces of “mooti,” medicinal wood, to keep away disease generally.
4. Leopard’s tooth to make him brave, &c., &c., and such things as love
philtres are not unknown to the Kaffir beaux, in spite of the lobolo,
or purchase system of getting a wife.
The Drugs that comprise the Native Pharmacopœia are very numerous and
varied, and are dealt with and used as described in subsequent pages.
Speaking generally, they are derived mostly from natural products. The
vegetable kingdom supplies the greatest part in the form of roots,
bark, wood, leaves, juice, flowers and fruit prepared in various ways
and used as powders, infusions, extracts, and applications. Medicated
baths are much used by some Kaffir specialists.
Those for internal use are most commonly purgatives or emetics, and for
external use vesicants or irritants according to the degree of dilution
or mode of application.
The animal kingdom also supplies some remedies, e.g., The skin of a
python, powdered, used for soothing; Hide of Alligator; Ox Gall; Snake
venom with gall. Cantharides beetle (Mylabris), a severe irritant which
has caused death in several known instances when administered too
freely internally.
Minerals are little used by the natives (although now-a-days Paraffine
is a great favourite).
The more valuable remedies have been used by the Herb doctors for ages,
and a knowledge of their properties transmitted from one to another, so
that there is a considerable heritage of experience to justify their
use.
We often find the same herb, perhaps under a different name used by the
Gaikas, Gcalekas, Fingoes, Tembus, &c., for the same malady; conclusive
proof of the efficacy and ancient origin of its use.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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