positive influence over a person’s reactions to various 
stimuli. We cannot state incontrovertibly that the power 
of an innocent native’s faith did not occasionally cause 
his stomach to reject the poison. Nor could we be sure 
a guilty party did not realize that, according to his deep- 
est beliefs, he would not be able to rid his stomach of 
the poison. 
However, our purpose has not been to determine the 
inherent good or evil in this practice, but merely to il- 
lustrate the numerous variations in method, observation, 
and interpretation which were found throughout the 
area, and to demonstrate the illimitable value of this or- 
deal by poison in the complicated spiritual and secular 
life of the African native. 
{ 312 | 
