THE ZULU WITCH DOCTOR AND MEDICINE-MAN. 



By J. B. McCoRi), M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. 



{Read July 9, iyi8.) 



Medical practice among the Zulus is intimately associated 

 with their belief in witchcraft and kindred superstitions. The 

 Zulu medicine-men may 1ie roughly divided into three classes. 

 In the first class we may include the witches and wizards proper, 

 and all those who deal in secret spells, charms, ]>oisons, etc.. to the 

 harm of others. In the second class we should include the witcli 

 doctor, the smeller-out, whose special function it is to detect and 

 expose those ()f the first class. The third class is comprised o\ 

 the herbalists or medical practitioners proper. It is likely that 

 almost every Zulu medicine-man ])artakes more or less of the 

 nature of all three classes. 



The Zulu witch or wizard or poisoner is not a figment of a 

 diseased imagination, l)ut a real person. His spells and charms 

 may be inert, but his poisons are often most powerful, and m 

 many cases he has remarkal)le psychic ]>ower. He is universally 

 feared, and his charms and medicines held in great respect. He 

 uses all sorts of substances 'for making his medicines and charms, 

 but the various parts of the human body ai^e considered the most 

 efficacious, especially if the victim is killed in the proper way — 

 that is, by twisting the head round until the neck breaks, but 

 without shedding any blood. Justice C. ( i. Jackson, in his article. 

 ■' Native Superstition in its Relation to Crime."* descrilies six 

 cases which have come under his observation in recent years in 

 which people have been killed in such a manner for the sake of 

 parts oif their bodies for the making of medicines. The Zulus 

 believe that practically every case of serious sickness is caused l)v 

 witchcraft or jxii.son. This belief leads to anything but peace and 

 harmony in the family and in the tribe. It also gi\es rise to the 

 second class of Zulu medical practitioner, the witch doctor, the 

 smeller-out or di\iner. 



In the good old days before the white man came to Natal 

 and Zululand. this witch doctor had practically absolute power of 

 life or death over the individuals of the tribe. By smelling-out 

 and accusing any individual as the witch or wizard when an im- 

 portant person became sick, he condemned that ]>erson Xo a speedy 

 death, and there was no appeal from his decision. Even in this 

 day of law and order the witch doctor has a })rofound influence 

 among the natives. Mr. Justice Jackson cites a number of cases 

 that have come under his observation in recent years where 

 natives have been done to death because it was believed that thoy 

 had caused death by means of witchcraft, because they had been 

 smelled out by the witch doctor. 



The medical practitioner proper among the Zulus, the herbal- 

 ist, is ideally one who is versed in the medicinal properties of the 



* Repf. S./L .^ssii. for Adv. of Science. Maritzlniro ( i9[6). 25[-26,^ 



