Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
The elephantiasis, so common in Abyssinia, is not known here. The
small-pox is a disease not endemial in the country of Sennaar.
It is sometimes twelve or fifteen years without its being known,
notwithstanding the constant intercourse they have with, and
merchandizes they bring from Arabia. It is likewise said this disease
never broke out in Sennaar, unless in the rainy season. However, when
it comes, it sweeps away a vast proportion of those that are infected:
The women, both blacks and Arabs, those of the former that live in
plains, like the Shillook, or inhabitants of El-aice, those of the
Nuba and Guba, that live in mountains, all the various species of
slaves that come from Dyre and Tegla, from time immemorial have known
a species of inoculation which they call Tishteree el Jidderee, or,
_the buying of the small pox_. The women are the conductors of this
operation in the fairest and driest season of the year, but never at
other times. Upon the first hearing of the small pox any where, these
people go to the infected place, and, wrapping a fillet of cotton
cloth about the arm of the person infected, they let it remain there
till they bargain with the mother how many she is to sell them. It is
necessary that the terms be discussed judaically, and that the bargain
be not made collusively or gratuitously, but that one piece of silver,
or more, be paid for the number. This being concluded, they go home,
and tie the fillet about their own child's arm; certain, as they say,
from long experience, that the child infected is to do well, and not
to have one more than the number of pustules that were agreed and paid
for. There is no example, as far as I could learn, either here or
in Abyssinia, of this disease returning, that is, attacking any one
person more than once.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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