528 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



not only witli natives, but also witli trustworthy Europeans, who have 

 seen it spit. The attack produces a running intiammation in the eyes, 

 which lasts for about a fortnight. 



The various behavior of the natives toward surgical and internal 

 disorders is curious to the European. No one can be more indifferent 

 than they are to external injuries and the pains they occasion. Except 

 in the rarest cases, they never utter a sound or move a limb, whatever 

 may be done to them. A thoroughgoing surgeon could not want bet- 

 ter subjects ; and only when the question is directly asked them will 

 they admit that they suffer any pain. An illustration of this power of 

 endurance is given by the poorer mountain Damaras, whose clothing, 

 for summer and winter, is reduced to a mere loin-cloth. Their only way 

 of warming themselves in cold weather is to hover over the fire as 

 closely as possible. They thereby become blistered nearly from head 

 to foot, and acquire a rather mottled appearance ; yet they never 

 seem to mind the smart of the bums. But let them suffer from any 

 slight internal disorder, if it be no more than a common cold, no one 

 can touch them, and it is very hard to make them submit to a medi- 

 cal examination. It was common in our school when one asked a per- 

 son suffering from such a disorder, " Where do you suffer the most 

 pain ? " for him to return the answer, " In my arms, neck, head, back, 

 stomach, all over my body." These imaginary sick gave us a great 

 deal of trouble, and it became necessary to keep them as much out of 

 the way as possible. I found an effectual means to accomplish this, 

 and one that was characteristic of the people. I ordered calf-soup for 

 the sick man. To kill one of their calves was more than the Hereros 

 were willing to do just to make a sick man well ; and no one to whom 

 I made this prescription ever came to me a second time. 



Massage plays an important part in native therapeutics, and is ap- 

 plied upon the whole of the lower part of the body and the bowels. 

 I can not deny that this operation is quite thoroughly and in a manner 

 scientifically performed. It is a circumstance favorable to this process 

 that the skin over the abdomens of the natives is stretched and flabby 

 on account of their custom — which arises from their necessities — of 

 overeating at times, and at other times having to endure long hunger. 

 The operator, first with a slow, light, but continuous movement of 

 his oiled finger-tip draws the bowels clear over to one side till he 

 can plainly feel the inner part of the hip-bone with its muscles and 

 vessels on the other side ; then the bowels are slowly pushed back, 

 with a movement so executed that every knot and every induration 

 is rubbed as thoroughly as possible between the fingers. A number 

 of the impleasant symptoms that may arise from costiveness, uterine 

 disorders, or the troubles of pregnancy, are removed by this operation, 

 and it can not be denied that the effect of the kneading on the circu- 

 lation is beneficial. The whole process lasts from an hour to an hour 

 and a half, and in serious cases is repeated every two or three days. 



