320 MEDICAL NEEDS OF THE NATIVES. 



There are two Europeans and 32 licensed witch doctors. .\s far as 

 European doctors are concerned, tlie provision is not adequate ; as far as 

 native medical men are concerned, there are .32 too many. — R.M., Stanger- 



There is a District Surgeon when obtainable. F"or the last two 

 years none was obtained. Now a District Surgeon, over middle age. not 

 acquainted with the native language, for 30,000 people, spread over 400 

 square miles. — R.M., Nqutu. 



The inadequacy is shown by the number of preventable deaths from 

 malarial fever, from childbirth, and the dissemination of contagious dis- 

 eases, such as smallpox, the medical personnel being quite insufficient to 

 even vaccinate the people. — Dr. Garin. Lonreu(;o Marques. 



Conclusion. — -It would be safe to assume from these replies 

 that the pro^•ision for the medical needs of the natives is inade- 

 quate. 



Question 2. 



Could the natives be induced to give up their witch doctors 

 and medicine men in favour of native assistant surgeons train jd 

 on European lines? 



Readily. Slowly. Not at all. 



Magistrates 5 15 5 



Missionaries 19 20 2 



Yes, perhaps in a generation's time, or even longer. Ik-lie f in witchery 

 is inherent in them, and is part of their natures. . . . You'll never 

 knock their belief in witch doctors out of thL-in. Maybe your children 

 will. — R.M., Nezv Hanover. 



Their superstitions will die hard, and will only pass with the general 

 enlightenment of the people. The provision of native medical practitioners, 

 would be a step in the right direction, and would gradually l)reak down 

 the most dangerous of their superstitions. — R.M., Dundee. 



Their giving up witch doctors would keep step with their enlighten- 

 ment and education generally. . ■ . . .Natives j)roperly trained and 

 living among them would have great iiiHucnce in the direction of 

 teaching them the worthlessness of the witch doctor. It is probal)ly too 

 optimistic to hope that superstition will entirely die out, since white 

 people living in the country have Iieen known to resort to witch doctors,. 

 and in towns to white quacks and fortune-tellers. — Rev. C. I'. Faye, 

 Entumeni. 



Conclusion. — Our conclusion would be that the natives would 

 certainly patroni.-^e a native assistant surgeon trainerl on European 

 lines. The rate at which this patronage would grow would depend 

 on the character, disposition, and success of the practitioner. 



Question 3. 



Is it desirable to train native medical men on the lines sug- 

 gested by Dr. McCord, z'is., a five years' course of training in a 

 native hospital or ward, following a course of general education 

 equivalent to that required by the Junior Certificate Examination? 



Emphatic Yes. Yes. Doubtful. No. Emphatic No. 

 Magistrates 4 11 4 3 i 



Missionaries 6 . 29 2 i o 



It sounds all right, but one must remember that the native is not 

 naturally a pioneer. Educate him and the result will probably be to set 

 him pioneering townwards. — R-^f-.. Nonf/oina. 



