92 
V. JANUARY TO JUNE, 1914 
gases which form, and this causes terrible pain. Then 
after several days of torture death takes place, unless 
the intestine can be got back through the rupture into 
the abdomen. Our ancestors were well acquainted with 
this terrible method of dying, but we no longer see it in 
Europe because every case is operated upon as soon 
as ever it is recognised. “ Let not the sun go down 
upon your — strangulated hernia,” is the maxim con- 
tinually impressed upon medical students. But in 
Africa this terrible death is quite common. There are 
few negroes who have not as boys seen some man 
rolling in the sand of his hut and howling with agony 
till death came to release him. So now, the moment a 
man feels that his rupture is a strangulated one — 
rupture is far rarer among women — ^he begs his friends 
to put him in a canoe and bring him to me. 
How can I describe my feelings when a poor fellow 
is brought me in this condition ? I am the only person 
within hundreds of miles who can help him. Because 
I am here and am supphed by my friends with the 
necessary means, he can be saved, like those who came 
before him in the same condition and those who will 
come after him, while otherwise he would have fallen a 
victim to the torture. This does not mean merely 
that I can save his life. We must all die. But that 
I can save him from days of torture, that is what I feel 
as my great and ever new privilege. Pain is a more 
terrible lord of mankind than even death himself. 
So, when the poor, moaning creature comes, I lay 
my hand on his forehead and say to him : “ Don’t be 
afraid ! In an hour’s time you shall be put to sleep, 
and when you wake you won’t feel any more pain.” 
Very soon he is given an injection of omnipon ; the 
