50 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANATOMICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL 



the rite is only solemnised at considerable intervals, and it is quite 

 possible that a boy who is not always in the district may miss one or 

 more opportunities. 



The camp is situated in an out-of-the-way part, and covers a large 

 area including temporary dwellings for the boys to sleep in, a hut for 

 the doctor to live in, and kraals for goats, etc. When the operation 

 is about to commence, the doctor places a clay pot of water on a large 

 fire burning in the centre of the kraal, and into this puts two powders, 

 one black, the other white. Then he leads the way to a small clearing 

 about twelve yards in diameter, only a few paces from the main camp, 

 but hidden from it by bushes. On one side of this is a thick hedge, 

 in the centre of which is a small hole, just big enough to let a man 

 pass through on his hands and knees. The doctor takes up his posi- 

 tion in the centre of this place, where a small hole has been made in 

 the sand. He lays out his instruments, consisting of a collection of 

 razors, and takes a pinch of black powder, some of which he puts into 

 the hole, and with the rest makes a smudge on each side of his face. 

 In the meantime a drum beats vigorously, and a couple of Kaffir 

 pianos play noisily, while the assistants dance and sing round the 

 doctor. The patient to be operated upon is then driven through the 

 gap in the hedge described above, and is at once tripped up by two 

 assistants placed in readiness, and carried to where the doctor kneels. 

 The doctor now seizes the prepuce, and having carefully pulled it for- 

 ward so as to avoid injuring the glans, leisurely saws it off, and drops 

 it into the hole in the sand. The mucous membrane is slit in the middle 

 line with the razor, separated from the glans very thoroughly, and 

 trimmed off close round to the framum. After the operation the 

 patient is given a decoction to drink, being urged to imbibe copiously. 

 The medical man now washes his hands several times carefully in hot 

 water and takes from an earthenware bowl a moist linen bag filled 

 with astringent herbs, and squeezes it over the bleeding surfaces. 

 This is a very painful proceeding, and a hand has to be placed over the 

 patient's mouth to prevent him yelling. The hot lotion is followed 

 by cold water, and then the part carefully dressed with leaves. The 



