132 AFRICAN FEVER. Chap A. 



by the motion, they can throw it between forty and fifty yards. 

 I saw a man who had received one of these weapons in his 

 shin. The blade split the bone, and became so impacted in 

 the cleft that no amount of pulling would extract it. It was 

 necessary to take an axe and force open the cleft before the 

 javelin could be taken out. 



CHAPTER X. 



Afkican fever. — The Makalaka. — Divisions of South African 



FAMILY. 



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



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 the contents of the pools are vanishing 



into the air, they may be supposed to be loaded with malaria 



and watery vapour. An epidemic is the result. The usual 



symptoms of stopped secretion are manifested — shivering and 



a feeling of coldness, although the skin is hot to the touch. 



The temperature in the axilla, over the heart and region of 



the stomach, was in my case 100° ; but 103° at the nape of 



the neck and throughout the course of the spine. There were 



pains along the latter, and frontal headache. The liver, in 



its efforts to free the blood of noxious particles, often secretes 



enormous quantities of bile. Anxious to ascertain whether 



the natives possessed 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, when it was boiling. 



placed it near me and threw a blanket round it and me, that 



I might be shut in with the steam. This being attended by 



no immediate effect, he got a small bundle of medicinal woods, 



and, burned them nearly to ashes in a potsherd, that the 



smoke and hot air might assist to produce perspiration. After 



being stewed in their vapour-baths, and smoked like a red 



herring over green twigs, I concluded that I could cure the 



fever more quickly than they can. The native treatment is, 



