104 THE FEVER. 



CHAPTEB X. 



6ICKNESS OF DR. LIVINGSTONE — ACCOUNT OF SEKELETU AND 

 HIS SUBJECTS. 



On the 30th of May I was seized with fever, for the first 

 time. We reached the town of Linyanti on the 23d; and, 

 as my habits were suddenly changed from great exertion to 

 comparative inactivity, at the commencement of the cold 

 season I suffered from a severe attack of stoppage of the 

 secretions, closely resembling a common cold. Warm baths 

 and drinks relieved me, and I had no idea but that I was 

 now recovering from the effects of a chill got by leaving 

 the warm wagon in the evening in order to conduct family 

 worship at my people's fire. But on the 2d of June a 

 relapse showed to the Makololo, who knew the complaint, 

 that my indisposition was no other than the fever, with 

 which I have since made a more intimate acquaintance. 

 Cold east winds prevail at this time; and as they come 

 over the extensive flats inundated by the Chobe, as well as 

 many other districts where pools of rain-water are now 

 drying up, they may be supposed to be loaded with mala- 

 ria and watery vapor, and many cases of fever follow. The 

 usual symptoms of stopped secretion are manifested, — 

 shivering and a feeling of coldness, though the skin is 

 quite hot to the touch of another. The heat in the axilise, 

 over the heart and region of the stomach, was in my case 

 100°, but along the spine and at the nape of the neck 103°. 

 The internal processes were all, with the exception of the 

 kidneys and liver, stopped ; the latter, in its efforts to free 

 the blood of noxious particles, often secretes enormous 

 quantities of bile. There were pains along the spine, and 

 frontal headache. Anxious to ascertain whether the natives 

 possessed the knowledge of any remedy of which we were 

 ignorant, I requested the assistance of one of Sekeletu's 

 doctors. He put some roots into a pot with water, and. 



