THE HEALINCr AIIT AS I'KACTISEn BY THE DEllVISHES 
271 
opprobrium is “infected with smallpox.” On the appearance of the rash the patient was at 
once isolated, being removed to a place two miles distant from any ])opulous neighbourhood. 
There he was placed in charge of an attendant, who had previously had smallpox, and 
whose duty it was to give him onions, milk and native bread (Medichi). Despite a con¬ 
siderable period of isolation, the disease used to spread owing to lack of vaccination. 
There was a severe epidemic in 1885 when Omdurman fell into the hands of the Dervishes. 
About twelve thousand people are known to have perished. Dut little attention was 
paid to cases of measles and typhus fever, the natives being very careless aljout them. 
doJic. For colic a decoction of Hargal {Solemwistfimma Argel, Ifayne) was used or the 
powdered leaves given mixed with native bread, i.e. dura meal boiled with water. One 
dose was usually sufficient, but sometimes two or three administrations of the drug were 
required. 
Diarrhoea. Many drugs were in vogue for this common complaint. “ Karad," already i )i;irrli<i.'a 
mentioned, was often tried, but Ardeh, tamarind {Tamarindus itidicus, Linn.), was in greater 
favour. 
When the two were combined, half an oke = 0'G24 kilo of each, was put into a 
quantity of water and the mixture allowed to stand for twelve hours. Then it was drunk 
in three doses. The medicine was repeated tor two or three days if necessary. Thereafter, 
if the patient had improved, galls {Afns} and pomegranate bark were exhiljited. If dysentery 
occurred two dirhems = 6'24 grammes of Tartus was boiled in a rotl = 450 grammes of 
water and drunk in one day. 
Infantile diarrha-a, in young children, was often treated by extracting the teeth and 
scarifying or burning the sockets. 
Eye diseases. In ophthalmia cataplasms of green powdered sant leaves made into a Eye 
paste w’ei’e applied. If benefit did not result, alum mixed with white of egg was substituted. 
The Falatah, who came from the neighbourhood of Darfur, were wont to practise needling in 
cases of cataract. This operation has long been known amongst this tribe, and the 
immediate results of the procedure were as a rule satisfactory. 
GonorrJuea. The roots of plant [Trianthema pentandra, Linn.), which grows on cJoiiorrhcua 
Tuti Island near Khartoum, had a great reputation in cases of gonorrhoea. They were 
dried in the sun or before a fire, powdered, and about two dirhems of the powder were 
mixed with niarissa, the native beer brewed from millet, and taken in small quantities. 
The effect of Ralmh roots was to cause an inflammation of the genito-urinary tract. When 
this ensued, as evidenced by the red colour of the blood-containing urine, the patient stopped 
taking any niore of the mixture. In some instances the inflammation vanished and the 
disease disappeared with it, in others the irritation increased and retention of urine resulted. 
When this occurred the patient was immersed in a warm butter bath, and if this measui'e 
failed resort was had to the catheter.' Not infrequently the patient died unrelieved. 
Another method of treating gonorrhoea consisted in the administration of “ .\trum ” 
(natron). Two dirhems of this were taken and burned until it became whitish-red, then it 
was powdered and mixed with a quarter of a rotl of liquid butter and the whole quantity 
drunk at one time. This medicine acts as a purgative and diuretic, and in mild cases 
appeared to do good. 
Syphilis. This was treated in many different ways. Tureha- was used. This is a kind .syphilis 
of powder, a heavy salt having a taste similar to Epsom salt. It produces copious diarrhoea. 
' The c.itlieter commonly used by the mitives of the Sudan is the quill of a turkey's feather. It is carefully 
cleaned of down or small feathers, is then smeared with fat and gradually passed into the urethra. A little of the 
grease is poured into the (piill and this is continued till the urine flows. I am indelrtcd for this note to 
Mr. Miiedutf Simpson, of the Oordon College. — A.B. 
- ride Second Report, Wellcome Research Laboratories, p. 237. 
