lo8 THE MEDICINE MAN IN NATAL AND ZULULAND. 



in the open market, and time is of greater object than it was in 

 the days of their fathers. This, it may be conjectured, must tend 

 to lower the standard of efficiency, and the average medicine man 

 to-day may know less, for good or evil, than his predecessors. 

 This possibly would not have ec[ual application where a son 

 succeeds his father. The office is hereditary, and is not lightly 

 permitted to die out in a family which for many generations has 

 numbered one of its members in the profession, the stock-in-trade 

 and goodwill passing from father to son. There are. of course, 

 yearly accretions to the ranks by those who have no claim to the 

 prestige which heredity affords. 



The Zulu medicine man is easily recognizable, with his strips 

 of skin, tails, small baskets, horn, bottles and haversack. He is 

 wiry and alert, for the ambulatory nature of his practice gives 

 him exercise in plenty; and he carries himself with dignity. On 

 reaching the kraal to which he has been summoned he is not 

 forgetful to secure his iihigxa, or ])reliminary fee, before com- 

 mencing his treatment. It may be that there has already been a 

 death in the family, and that others are down with the same 

 complaint. A goat must be killed, not only as a sacrifice to the 

 ancestral spirits, but because its blood, and certain tendons and 

 muscles, and other parts of the carcase, are required in the treat- 

 ment. Incidentally, too, it is convenient to be assured of a supply 

 of meat "during his residence at the kraal — which may extend 

 over several weeks, for the treatment must not be hurried. If 

 there have been unusual or mysterious occurrences connected 

 with his patients, it is first necessary to safeguard them by a dose 

 of insizi composed of many ingredients, such as burnt portions of 

 flesh or skin and herbs made into a black powder, the effect of 

 which must be heightened by certain restrictions or ukusila. 

 These may take the form of abstinence from particular fcK)ds, 

 or the avoidance of some customary usage. The evil having 

 been thus countered, the potent eft'ects of the treatment itself 

 must be corrected by a purification process known as ukupotida. 

 The body must be washed or anointed with certain medicaments. 

 followed by a dose olfi what is known as white medicine to dis- 

 tmguish it from iiisisi, or black medicine, which it cleanses away. 

 To further protect the kraal or the hut of the patient from the 

 spells of a secret enemy, a preparation of the leaves of certain 

 trees or herbs, usually found in secluded places, is compounded, 

 and is kno'wn as Intclesi. This is used to sprinkle or cela around 

 and within the hut by means of wild broom or small branches. 

 As a still further precaution the ])atient may be given a charm or 

 inifijigo to render harmless the intrigues of the evil one. Having 

 thus secured him immunity from the sinister influences which are 

 lield accountable for all untoward events, the doctor is tree to 

 attend to the main purpose of his visit — the curing of the disease. 

 Almost certainly an emetic will be given, made up possibly from 

 a i^lant known as Matunga (Cyrtaniliiis obliguus) or any other 

 plant cr root know'n to be efficacious. This may be followed by 



