i. An ointment made by boiling in lard the leaves of the Ubu-vumba

(Withania somnifera) is frequently applied in painful cases.

Burns. The following is a graphic description of the mode of treating burns, given me by a Fingo. It is certainly not a gentle one. Here is the case of a child who through carelessness has fallen into the fire and lies screaming. It is found on examination to have a severely burned arm and shoulder. The father takes the case in hand. He goes out and secures some in-kubele (healing plants) and one or two mealie cobs (the centre of the Indian-corn cob after the grain has been removed). He has some water boiled and is now ready to commence operations. The child is laid over his knee, while the mother stretches out the injured arm and holds it firmly. The whole of the charred and injured tissues are firmly rubbed off with the mealie cob, which has been soaked in the hot water, until the wound is considered clean.

The screams of the child are not considered of any importance compared with the scraping process which must be thorough.

The wound is then freely dressed with the leaves or mashes used in healing wounds.

Tumours and Abscesses. Ama-fa, quba or i-tumba are looked upon as collections of bad blood growing out. They, especially if painful are treated by poultices of various herbs (vide healing wounds) and if they point are frequently incised and evacuated.

Large tumours are not touched and are considered, in some tribes, to be due to the touch of a bewitcher.

Lightning Stroke. The Basutos attempt resuscitation in cases of apparent death from lightning stroke. They lay the person on his back, extend his arms and make rythmical traction on the tongue, the while the body and limbs are being well rubbed. Amongst most tribes a person killed by lightning is looked on with great awe and as a rule no one will touch him. The Isanusi is called, and after many incantations and purifyings, a hole is dug near him and the body rolled into it. The spot is then “Isitshu,” sacred and enchanted. The whole kraal is then put in “Coventry” and no communication allowed with anyone, neighbours or visitors, for months. An isanuse is then engaged, paid a large fee and proceeds to purify all the people in the kraal by means of ceremonies and incantations.

A beast, cow, ox etc., killed by lightning is treated in the same way (buried whole and untouched), and the kraal avoided.

The isanuse in purifying the inhabitants of a kraal for “lightning stroke” enchantment, doses them freely with Is-cimambilo (Pentanisia variabilis) which, as its name implies, extinguishes the fire.

The Grahamstown Journal remarking on a recent case says. The reason why the corpse of the native, struck by lightning, had been allowed to rot in the road for a week was because nobody could be found to bury it. No Kaffir would go near it, as they say, if they meddle with anything struck by lightning, or indeed go near it, not only will ill-luck attend them always afterwards, but their very lives will be in danger from the “fiery bolts of Jove.”

In Tembuland the lightning had been unusally active, one hot season, and had killed several cattle. The natives would not allow any stranger to enter their kraals, and if by chance anyone got in he had to stay there. No food was given to strangers and they were warned off. This was the inhospitable state of affairs till the Amagqira had done their duty and driven off the lightning.

The natives say the lightning is really a bird which they call “Impundulu” or the lightning bird.

This bird appears as such only to women; but as lightning it darts down and lays a big egg, where it strikes, which eggs bring ill-luck to the neighbourhood where it is laid.

The only way to circumvent the bird, is to stand ready with a kerrie (club) and hit right through the flash. (Putting salt on its tail in fact). Needless to say that no one has ever succeeded in killing one yet. The Isanusi is supposed to dig for this egg in order to destroy it, but so far none has been demonstrated to the common public. Great hopes are entertained for the future! The possession of the egg would bring great good fortune to the possessor.

In olden times the “doctor” was a really clever man in many cases, would come and do work for a bull, cow, or even heifer; but now the “Doctors” have sadly deteriorated, and first his fee of a bottle of brandy, three shillings, and a roll of tobacco must be paid before he will fix up the case.

Need we remark doctors are now not so much used or respected. Down near Alexandria in 1894, we know of only one hut being burnt down in the whole year. That hut, the doctors say was burned down by the lightning bird. The lightning struck near the huts of two men. They rushed out and began digging for all they were worth; but failed to find the eggs. Then one of them called in an Isanuse, and his place and himself were “disinfected,” he paying besides the usual fee a bull calf. The other man had no brandy, no money, no tobacco, and the doctor loved him not. The former is a wealthy native now, owns a lot of cattle, and has two wagons and plenty of wives and children; the latter man’s hut was burnt down a week afterwards, and his little store of fifty bags of grain, totally destroyed. Of course the lightning bird as I said before “fired that hut.”

Opththalmia. I-ndloloti.

Treatment. a. The fresh juice of the umhlaba (Alœ ferox) is dropped into the eye with good effect.

b. U-tywala bentaka (Lantano salviæfolia) in the form of an infusion of the fresh leaves or at times the dried leaves is used. It is very astringent, causes much smarting and only used in severe cases.