39 
of Skin Diseases,’ point in the direction of the existence of 
a special bacterium (Bacillus lepre). 
“To be or not to be, that is the question.” 
Here offers a grand opening for display of West African 
medical talent. 
I am not prepared to dwell further on this part of my 
Paper, beyond recording that it has not, unfortunately, 
been my experience to find extended, with exceptions, to 
special diseases and their causes that attention and interest 
which science and humanity dictate. 
It is interesting to note how curious it is that red pepper 
(chillis, the fruit of Capsicum annuum) is so generally used 
in malarial Africa and in other tropical countries. In this 
use West Africa stands prominent. It may be concluded 
that people in such countries are always more or less below 
par, especially in Africa (for such is my experience), and that 
stimulant is deemed needful, and resorted to. The pepper 
affords a powerful stimulant, and promotes further the 
digestion—whether with an ultimate satisfactory issue or 
not is another question—in countries such as West Africa, 
where the digestive power becomes considerably impaired. 
Salt forms an essential factor to the health and content- 
ment of the natives, and is only somewhat devoted towards 
the curing of fish, being principally used as a condiment. 
Odd to say, it is largely imported into West Africa, its 
manufacture from salt water by the natives receiving but 
scanty attention. Beyond a matter of interest and of 
astonishment, the mention of this industry, as compared 
with salt importation, is scarcely worthy of notice. 
For the purpose of curing fish, salt is only used on the 
coast, and even there not altogether, when the catch is 
exceptionally plentiful, and the scarce season has to be 
