Chap. VI. PREMATURE BURIALS— OPHTHALMIA. 129 



The diseases most prevalent are the following: pneumonia, 

 produced by sudden changes of temperature, and other inflamma- 

 tions, as of the bowels, stomach, and pleura ; rheumatism ; disease 

 of the heart; but these become rare as the people adopt the 

 European dress ; various forms of indigestion and ophthalmia ; 

 hooping cough comes frequently ; and every year the period 

 preceding the rains is marked by some sort of epidemic. Some- 

 times it is general ophthalmia, resembling closely the Egyptian. 

 In another year it is a kind of diarrhoea, which nothing will cure 

 until there is a fall of rain, and anything acts as a charm after 

 that. One year the epidemic period was marked by a disease 

 winch looked like pneumonia, but had the peculiar symptom 

 strongly developed of great pam in the seventh cervical process. 

 Many persons died of it, after being in a comatose state for 

 many hours or days before then decease. No inspection of 

 the body being ever allowed by these people, and the place of 

 sepulture being carefully concealed, I had to rest satisfied with 

 conjecture. Frequently the Bakwains buried their dead in the 

 huts where they died, for fear lest the witches (Baloi) should 

 disinter their friends, and use some part of the body in their 

 fiendish arts. Scarcely is the breath out of the body when 

 the unfortunate patient is hurried away to be buried. An ant- 

 eater's hole is often selected, in order to save the trouble of 

 digging a grave. On two occasions while I was there this hasty 

 burial was followed by the return home of the men, who had been 

 buried alive, to their affrighted relatives. They had recovered 

 while in their graves from prolonged swoons. 



In ophthalmia the doctors cup on the temples, and apply to the 

 eyes the pungent smoke of certain roots, the patient at the same 

 time taking strong draughts of it up liis nostrils. We found the 

 solution of nitrate of silver, two or three grains to the ounce of 

 rain-water, answer the same end so much more effectually, that 

 every morning numbers of patients crowded round our house for 

 the collyrium. It is a good preventive of an acute attack when 

 poured into the eyes as soon as the pain begins, and might prove 

 valuable for travellers. Cupping is performed with the horn of 

 a goat or antelope, having a little hole pierced in the small end. 

 In some cases a small piece of wax is attached, and a temporary 

 hole made through it to the horn. When the air is well with- 



