c. The powdered root of I-qwili (Alepidea amatymbica) is also used for

colic or abdominal pain, a teaspoonful to a dose.

In larger doses this drug is an emetic and purgative, in smaller a stomachic.

d. Um-bangandlela (Heteromorpha arborescens) is also used in infusion.

Purgatives are used and sometimes injections. This is one of the diseases which lend themselves so well to the treatment of the Amagqira Awokuqubula or doctors who use massage and sucking accompanied by incantations, and profess to produce, in the form of a lizard, frog, or something, the cause of the disease.

The Awobulongo, cow-dung doctors are also successful in this illness.

Stitch. Ili-hlaba is treated by rubbing the part and administering infusions of the root of the Ili-bulawa (Sebæa crassulæfolia), a bitter astringent used also in dysentery and colic.

Vomiting. In-hlanzo, caused by bewitchment or poisoning is arrested by copious draughts of hot water followed by purgatives.

Dysentery or Diarrhœa. Uxaxazo referred to gastronomic errors and treated by:

a. I-yeza lezikali (Pelargonium reneforme) administered hot as a decoction in milk of the powdered root, about a teaspoonful of the powder.

b. Um-tuma (Solanum Capense) as in (a).

c. I-gqita (Monsonia ovata). Much used and valued in this disease. It is sedative and astringent and now used as a tincture in the armamentarium of most colonial physicians, and by some considered very valuable in Typhoid fever.

Jaundice. I-nyongo (bile) believed to be due to too long continuance of the same diet.

Treatment: Diet is changed and purgatives administered.

Gallstone and its colic are not recognised.

Constipation. Uku-qunjeliva.

Treatment: 1. Sometimes enemata are administered. The method adopted being, to insert the smaller end of a cowhorn, with the point cut off, into the bowel and having filled the horn with the required liquid to blow with the mouth applied to the other end and so empty the horn of its contents into the bowel.

2. Many purgatives are known and used, the chief being a. Um-quali (Euclea lanceolata) of which the bark of the roots is used.

b. In-kamamasane (Euphorbia pugniformis) The milk from the stem is a drastic cathartic, and like croton oil an escharotic.

c. Um-hlaba (Aloe ferox). The long fleshy leaves of this plant are broken off and hung up in a sun over a vessel. The juice which collects is dried in the sun, and being mixed with meal or clay is used in the form of a pill.

In some parts the juice of this aloe is used by the natives, dropped into the eye, for purulent ophthalmia.

There are many other cathartics known to and used by the native doctors as well as domestically.

Obstruction of the bowels. Uku-quina.

Treatment: All the usual cathartics may be tried and they failing, the rubbing doctor “Igqira-elokuqubula,” may be called in who massages the belly. If he fails the person must be bewitched; when the witch doctor is requisitioned to see the end of the chapter and have someone punished for the result.

Peritonitis. Inflammation of the bowels is treated generally as colic and fever.

Dropsy. I can get no authentic record of this being recognised. One informant calling it “Igalimoya” gives as a method of treatment used the injection and administration by the mouth of infusions of Utangazano (Cucumis Africanus) a wild cucumber, which is a hydrogogue cathartic.

Piles. U-mzi.

a. Charms are used to cause their disappearance, e.g., I-kubalo or lika Mlanjeni (Pelargonium pulverulentum) of which the leaves are chewed.

These leaves were given to the warriors in the Kaffir Wars of 1850, as war medicine, by the great witch doctor Mlanjeni, to charm away the British bullets, and make the guns miss fire. Kaffirs were found, dead on the field, who had these leaves chewed in their mouths.

b. Another method of treatment is to mash into a pulp the rootstalk of the Isi-kolokoto (Sansevieria thyrsiflora) and use the pulp locally and internally.

Thread worms. Izlio.

Tape worm. I-palo.

Round worms. Intshulube.

These are all grouped for treatment as worms and submitted to the same kind of treatment. As they are very common amongst the Kaffirs there is a very large variety of remedies.

The following are a selection from many more.

1. Iyeza lentshulube (Hibiscus trionum.)

2. Isi-kolokoto (Sansevieria thyrsiflora), of which the root is used.

3. Ikalana (Aloe tenuior) one of the best of these drugs. It is cathartic as well as taenicide and non-poisonous in ordinary doses. For tape worm a decoction of the roots is taken on an empty stomach, after purgation.

4. Um-fincafincane (Leontis leonurus), the leaves and flowers are used in decoction or powder.

5. I-dolo lenkonyana (Rumex Eckloni) of which the roots are taken, boiled in sweet milk.

6. Um-muncwane (Oxalis Smithii). A handful of the dried bulbs is boiled in milk and the decoction drunk.

7. In-nyinga (Agremonia Capensis) a paste of the leaves with sour milk.

8. A decoction of a mixture of Um nukambeba (Myeris inequalis), of Um-nungumabele (Xanthoxylon Capense) and of Um-nquma (olive) is used.

9. Crushed pumpkin seeds are also used. About 30 seeds slightly roasted being the usual dose.

Kidney Disease is unknown; but urinary troubles are treated. Thus for painful micturition and difficult as well as scanty or thick urine a decoction of the root of Um-tumana (Solanum Capense) may be tried.

General Debility. Tonics are used by the igqira elemiciza thus:

1. I-tshongwe (Xysmalobium latifolium) of which the root is infused and the liquor which is exceedingly bitter, drunk.

2. Ubu-hlungu benyushu (Teucrium Africanum) a few grains of the dried bark being a dose.

3. In-dawa (Cyperus.) The knobs which grow on the roots, have a strong, bitter, pungent and aromatic flavour. These are used for this condition as also for colic.

4. Ubu-hlungu bedilia (Cluytia hirsuta) of which the leaves are chewed or taken in infusion.

A person suffering from prolonged debility unrelieved by treatment, naturally (for a Kaffir) comes to believe that he is under the malign influence of someone around him who is working on him by means of witchcraft, and journeys are taken to get away from the spell. Thus in a way the idea of “Change of Air” is practiced.