JIKDICAI- l-UAC'l'ICKS ANIJ SUl’EHSTITIOXS OF KOHDOFAN 
:3;'l 
and imagine it is, nowadays, seldom undertaken, sufferers coming from groat distances 
to undergo such operations, under the inffiience of an anajsthetic, and at t!ie hands of a 
more precise surgeon. 
9. Nuba “ Gircuiiicitiioii." The Nuhas, possessing a religion of their own and not 
holding the Moslem faith, do not circumcise their girls or boys. 
They have a custom of scarring primipara during pregnancy with a imugli patteim over 
the body, arms and thighs. 'Ehis they call “ Tahur ” (circumcision). It is an honour 
accorded only to the barren after they reach the menopause. 
10. Extraction, of Teeth. The extraction of the lower incisor teeth of males is a 
tribal custom amongst the inhabitants of the Fur country to the west of Kordofan, and to 
a lesser degree amongst the Nuhas to the south ; it is undertaken at about the age of puberty 
and holds a somewhat parallel position to circumcision, “ Tahur,” amongst the Arabs. The 
interval left, as well as being ornamental, is considered useful for hand-feeding tlie weak or 
dying. 
For the extraction a silversmith’s pliers is commonly used, if it can he obtained. 
Otherwise, the world-wide custom of securing a string round the tooth, fastening the other 
end, and jerking the head until the 
tooth comes out, is resorted to. 
.\djacent teeth to a free socket are 
worked loose and extracted with 
the linger and thumb. 
The Nuhas gouge out the 
selected tooth with the head of a 
Kokah or pointed spear. 
In order to allay pain and 
bleeding, a dressing of ash, alum 
or asafoetida is applied. 
11. Nuba nose, ear and lip 
perforation. At an early age the 
under lips and the lobes of the 
ears of girls are perforated for 
the introduction of cylinders of 
white stone. For the reception of 
these (in the case of the lip) they 
often remove the lower incisor 
teeth. 
thick lip is considered a 
thing of beauty. They therefore 
encourage an unnatural hypertrophy 
by rubbing in irritants and repeated 
scarification. The Nuhas of some 
Gebels prefer their women un¬ 
blemished. The contrast between 
the natural and artificial appearance 
is often striking. 
Perforations of the nose and and con.;,,.. a .yh..d=r c -.v..,.. st, .,. 
margins of the ears for the reception 
of rings, stones and iron spikes is a general custom adopted both by men and women. 
■N’uba 
“circumcision’' 
Teeth 
e.xtraction 
Xulta nose, 
ear and lip 
perforation 
V 
