bones, and put some of the powder on their faces. The 
rest was used as a powerful poison. The sorcerer’s child- 
ren were put into slavery. 
Detailed information concerning this plant’s active 
principle is lacking, although it is known to have been 
highly toxie. 
The preparation of the poison was as simple as its ap- 
plication. Without the aid of a witch doctor or other 
official, the disputing parties went to the nearest tree and 
stripped off some of its bark. This was dried and ground 
to a fine powder, which was then stored until the time 
of the trial. 
Administration normally took place by proxy, the 
poison being given to a fowl, dog, or serf, who repre- 
sented the accused. Ina civil case involving two persons, 
a proxy for each was tried. If one proxy showed adverse 
effects while the other did not, the case was decided 
against that party. 
The usual treatment of humans was similar. If one 
retained the poison (which was mixed to be non-fatal) 
while the other rejected it by vomiting, the first was de- 
clared culpable, and paid damages according to his crime. 
Such were the methods of the normal trial by ordeal in 
East Africa. 
However, there were tribes, particularly in the west- 
ern Lake Nyassa district, among whom death was an in- 
tegral part of the procedure. It is interesting to note that 
with this renewed stress an increased corruption of witch 
doctors appeared, relating the method to the more brutal 
ordeals of Madagascar and the rest of Africa. 
In these tribes, the two disputants in acivil case took 
their grievances to a witch doctor. He then assigned a 
piece of muavi bark to each, raised these in the air, and 
let them fall to the ground. The one whose bark turned 
in falling was the offender, and his poison would be sub- 
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