ZULU MEDICINE AND MEDICINE-MEN. 2J 



it existed in the religion of tlie ancient Egyptians, was some- 

 thing primarily invented and imported into Africa by them, 

 and was not rather an indigenous superstition appro})riated 

 by them from the black races they displaced upon their first 

 arrival on the Nile. If the latter were the case, and the 

 Egyptians adopted the African belief in the human beetle- 

 parasite — but without contracting the disease, and, therefore, 

 ignorant of the exact character of the parasite — we should 

 not b.e surprised at their transferring the whole niyth along 

 with the magic connected with it to the only dung-beetle 

 they knew, viz. the connnon tumble-dung-beetle of the paths 

 (Scaraba3us sacer). The Egyptian name for the scarab 

 was the same as that of one of the four great cosmic gods, 

 viz. Kheper, meaning "he who rolls," "to be," "to come 

 into being"; and there is certainly some philological resem- 

 blance between this woi-d and the Zulu word IKhainhhi for 

 the human parasite. 



Egyptologists (see Budge, ' Egyptian Magic,' p. 38) tell us 

 that the beetle was named Kheper on account of its rolling 

 propensities, comparing it with the sun, which rolls day by day 

 across the heavens. Is it not quite as likely that it was so 

 named because of its strange habit of suddenly emerging 

 fully Hedged from the bowels of a human being, and without 

 any apparent previous entry therein ? It would suggest the 

 thought of " coming into being," of " self-creation." 



Ko and- worms — As car ids. 



Tlie bulbs of the plant InJoho, taken even in the raw state, 

 are very effective. I have known two dozen of these worms 

 to be expelled from one adult who had taken two of these 

 bulbous roots, each one and a half inches in diameter. The 

 roots were pounded very finely and boiled in meat broth. 



T a p e - w o r m . 

 Despite our world-wide experience we have been able to 

 bring the native no more powerful expellent of tape-worms 



