308 ZULU WITCH DOCTORS. 



From such testimonies as these, which come in from all sides 

 from men who .have an intimate knowledge of Zulu character and 

 customs, we are driven to the conclusion that the native witch 

 doctors and medicine-men have a most sinister influence on the 

 Zulu race, socially, religiously and politically. 



Consider the native doctor from the standpoint of the practice 

 of medicine. For a native to obtain a license to practise medi- 

 cine in Natal no qualifications whatever are required except the 

 recommendation of the chief, the consent of the magistrate, and 

 the payment of the license. The native doctor has little idea of 

 anatomy, practically no idea of physiology, and his idea of patho- 

 ]og>' and the cause of di.sease is worse than negative ; it is wildly 

 erroneous. The native 'belief is that most severe diseases are 

 caused by witchcraft, and the native dcxrtors share this belief and 

 foster it. It is their stock-in-trade. 



The Zulu does not differentiate clearly between witchcraft, 

 pure and simple — that is, the compact with the Devil and direct 

 assistance from His Satanic Majesty, and the communion with the 

 assistance df other members of the spirit world of lesser renown — 

 and the magic properties inherent in the various substances which 

 he finds in the world of nature. He decides on some medicines o i 

 account of the properties they are known to have, such as some 

 well-known emetics, jnirgatives, counter-irritants, etc . In the great 

 majority of cases he decides on a medicine on account of the 

 properties it ought to have or is said to have. He reasons all 

 out of his own head what substances ought to make strong 

 medicines or powerful charms, and then he goes and gets them 

 to make his medicines with. The source of the medicine is im- 

 portant. The parts of a snake are in great demand. The organs 

 and fat of the humaii body make powerful medicines. The parts 

 of almost every animal are at times used. There is a gre it 

 variety of substances which he uses for making medicines and 

 charms. I recently had sent to me a dose of meclicine which had 

 been put up by a native doctor. On examination one could dis- 

 tinguish pieces of snake-skin, birds" feathers, porcupine (juills, 

 dead insects, bits of bark, horse-hair, tlung, and other ingredients 

 whose nature was not so evident. The patient had a tempera- 

 ture of 104°. The friends brought a bottle of native beer to 

 wash the medicine down with. Some time ago 1 examined and 

 invested in some of the native medicine on sale down at the 

 Native Market in Durban. Among other medicines I noticed a 

 piece of crocodile skin, which, if put in cough medicines, increases 

 their efficacy ; the feathers and skin of a vulture as a cure for 

 insanity ; powdered cuttle-fish for sore eyes ; and the ])owdered 

 dried flesh of a snake as a cure for witchcraft, and so on. 



It is likely that every doctor has his ])et remedies and his 

 favourite methods of treatment. Fach is a law unto himself. 

 Still, there are undoubtedly general beliefs and i:)ractices which 

 might almost be said to constitute a system of practice of medicine 

 among native doctors. I have endeavoured to get a description of 



