Chap. IX. SURGICAL PllACTJCE OF THE OTANDO. lOD 



stillness of the afternoon, when the heat of the verti- 

 cal sun compels every one to repose, I was startled 

 by loud screams, as though some unfortunate being 

 was being led to death for witchcraft. On going 

 to the place, I found a helpless woman, who was 

 afflicted with leprosy, and suffering besides under an 

 attack of lumbago, undergoing an operation for the 

 latter disease at the hands of the Otando doctor 

 and his assistants. They had made a number of 

 small incisions in the back of the poor creature with 

 a sharp-pointed knife of the country, and were 

 rubbing into the gashes a great quantity of lime- 

 juice mixed with pounded cayenne-pepper. The 

 doctor was rubbing the irritating mixture into the 

 wounds with all his might, so that it was no wonder 

 that the poor creature was screaming with pain, and 

 rolling herself on the ground. It is wonderful to 

 observe the faith all these negroes have in lime-juice 

 mixed with cayenne pepper. They use it not only 

 as an embrocation, but also internally for dysentery, 

 and I have often seen them drink as much as half 

 a tumblerful of it in such cases. The pepper itself 

 I believe to be a very useful medicine in this climate, 

 for I have often found benefit from it when unwell 

 and feverish, by taking an unusual quantity in my 

 food. 



Whilst I am on the subject of native doctoring, I 

 must relate what I saw afterwards in the course of 

 Mayolo's illness. I knew the old chief had been 

 regularly attended by a female doctor, and often 

 wondered what she did to him. At length one 

 morning I happened to go into his house when she 



