NA TURE 



[May io, 1906 



is sadly in want of a generally accepted definition 

 fitted to give a clear idea of its scope. But though 

 this definition is lacking, the handling of the subject 

 is coming to be more and more in accordance with 

 the idea that the governing function of geography 

 is to indicate the nature and relative importance of 

 the influences exercised on the life of the globe, 

 especially human life, by local conditions and place 

 relations. It is evident that this idea has been im- 

 plicitly in the minds of the authors in the preparation 

 of some parts of the book, but it is equally evident 

 that the idea has never been expressly recognised by 

 them, and accordingly it has not been consistently 

 acted on. One result is that a good deal is admitted 

 into the book which has no place in geography, but 

 a still more serious result is that again and again 

 the practical guidance stops short of the goal to which 

 the learners should have been led. 



Some examples may be given. Inevitably the 

 work lays stress on map-making and the observations 

 on which maps are based. Maps being necessary in 

 the study of geography, boys and girls must be got to 

 understand as clearly as possible how far those re- 

 cords of the facts which have to be studied serve in 

 place of the actual facts, and in what points they are 

 apt to mislead. Now, while there is much that is 

 admirable in what is said, shown, and hinted on 

 pp. 51-72 on hachures and contours, there is no hint 

 of what hachures and contours respectively fail to 

 represent. The subject of projections is rightly dealt 

 with, for within due limits it is not beyond the reach 

 of school children. But here the failure is more strik- 

 ing. The only reason for taking up this subject is to 

 get the learners to understand how inevitably any pro- 

 jection must fail to represent the truth in some points, 

 to perceive in each case the chief failures, and to dis- 

 cern the reasons for using certain projections in spite 

 of their defects. But on these points no hint is given. 

 The principle of the construction of what is called 

 Mercator's projection is described, but, strangely 

 enough, no question is put with the view of getting 

 those who use the book to recognise its obvious faults, 

 and no indication is furnished of its compensating 

 utilities. This, indeed, would have been impossible, 

 at least in the case of its utility for marine charts, 

 inasmuch as the projection described is not Mercator's, 

 but the useless central cylindrical. So, too, the pro- 

 jection described as the conical is not the conical, and 

 is, in fact, no used projection whatever. 



To take another subject, under the heading of 

 isotherms and parallels of latitude we have on pp. 

 227 and 228 a large number of average mean tempera- 

 tures for the months of January and July, but for 

 different places, thus failing to afford an opportunity 

 for comparing ranges of temperature. Then again, 

 under the heading of aspect and temperature, pp. 241-3, 

 the important subject of the difference of temperature 

 between the east and west of the northern oceans and 

 land-masses is dealt with, but is illustrated only by 

 certain figures from Hann presenting this difference 

 in the least instructive light, in the manner which 

 fails to brii\g out the difference which is of most 

 NO. 1906, VOL. 74] 



practical importance to the inhabitants of the earth. 

 The figures show only the difference in the mean 

 annual range of temperature, and do not indicate 

 that this difference is brought about in every case in 

 a greatly preponderant degree by the varying range 

 of the winter temperatures. 



Such defects are worth pointing out, chiefly because 

 the book is on the whole so good that one cannot help 

 earnestly wishing that it were better, and because it 

 may be hoped that they will be removed in a future 

 edition. Even as it is, it must be recognised that the 

 immense pains taken by the authors have resulted in 

 the preparation of a work which is full of suggestive- 

 ness, and ought to supply a countless number of 

 useful hints to capable teachers of geography. 



Geo. G. Chisholm. 



FOLKLORE AND MEDICINE OF THE ZULU- 

 KAFIR. 



Bantu Folklore (Medical a)id General). By Dr. 

 Matthew L. Hewat. Pp. 112. (Cape Town: 

 T. M. Miller; London : J. and A. Churchill, n.d.) 



THIS is an interesting little work. It will be of 

 value to students of primitive races. It deals 

 chiefly with the ideas of the South African Kafir 

 tribes on the subject of magic, medicine, diseases, and 

 initiation ceremonies. Incidentally it gives a great 

 insight into the extraordinary mixture of superstition, 

 quackery, and practical research in native medicine. 

 The Kafirs are nearly always at fault in their guesses 

 as to the origin of diseases. Some maladies are 

 thought to be caused by the supernatural influence of 

 snakes or of water monsters, half man and half 

 animal, or by the strange bird called impundulu, which 

 by some is thought to be the origin of lightning. 

 Other diseases are attributed to direct poisoning — the 

 word for poison, ubuti, being a very old Bantu root 

 that means the " essence of the tree." This is a word 

 that in many Bantu languages means medicine quite 

 as much as poison, all the medicines of primitive man 

 having been derived from the bark, sap, fruit, or 

 leaves of trees. Some of the " snakes " alluded to by 

 the author as the cause of intestinal diseases (in the 

 native mind) are evidently distorted accounts of guinea- 

 worm or tape- worm. 



The king or chief of the tribe is theoretically re- 

 garded as the first amongst the local medicine men. 

 Professional doctors, however, may be of either sex. 

 They are often divided into the following classes : 

 (i) Witch doctors — diviners, mesmerists, prophets, or 

 secret service agents, " faith-healers," and masseurs. 

 The last-named type of witch doctor is the only one 

 that performs any good service. Like most negro 

 races, the Kafirs believe greatly in the efficacy of 

 massage. (2) The surgeon or bone-setter, who also 

 practises cupping. (3) The physician or herb doctor. 

 In addition there are two special classes of medicine 

 men, who attend to the bringing of rain or the pre- 

 diction and direction of warlike operations. Very 

 great misery and loss of life were caused until quite 

 recently by the witch-hunting practices of the medicine 

 men. These priests often became petty tyrants, in- 



