360 
WITCHCRAFT. 
rers; the pringurru, a sacred piece of bone (used some- 
times for bleeding), &c. The latter, if burned to 
ashes in the fire, possesses mortiferous influence over 
enemies. If two tribes are at war, and one of either 
happens to fall sick, it is believed that the sick- 
ness has been produced by a sorcerer of the opposite 
tribe, and should the pringurru have been burnt, 
death must necessarily follow. 
As all internal pains are attributed to witchcraft, 
sorcerers possess the power of relieving or curing 
them. Sometimes the mouth is applied to the sur- 
face where the pain is seated, the blood is sucked 
out, and a bunch of green leaves applied to the part; 
besides the blood, which is derived from the gums 
of the sorcerer, a bone is sometimes put out of the 
mouth, and declared to have been procured from 
the diseased part ; on other occasions the disease is 
drawn out in an invisible form, and burnt in the 
fire, or thrown into the water ; at others the patient 
is stretched upon the ground, whilst another person 
presses with his feet or hands upon the diseased part, 
or cold water is sprinkled over, and green leaves 
used as before. There are few complaints that the 
natives do not attempt to cure, either by charms or 
by specific applications : of the latter a very singular 
one is the appliance personally of the urine from a 
female — a very general remedy, and considered a 
sovereign one for most disorders. Bandages are 
often applied round the ankles, legs, arms, wrists, 
&c. sufficiently tight to impede circulation ; suction 
