Some African Maladies 
was always well when the other needed a nurse. 
In the eighth month my chills could not be 
broken and 1 was brought to the door of the 
grave. From four o’clock one afternoon until 
light next morning I was unconscious, with my 
life hanging by a thread. In Africa, excitement 
often made my wife very ill and, when my con¬ 
dition became so serious, she had to be removed 
to another room, and was soon as ill as I. We 
both extracted from Mr. Phillips a promise that 
if either was found to be dying, we should be 
allowed to see each other at once. One day, my 
interpreter ran into my room and attempted 
to take me into his arms. I knew what this 
meant and, to my great surprise, I rose from my 
bed and tottered into the room where my wife 
was. I found her just recovering from uncon¬ 
sciousness. The sight of my face soon revived 
her and we were able to converse for a while. 
The excitement of meeting under the circum¬ 
stances seemed to revive us both, and we com¬ 
menced improving from that day. 
Such is the strange character of this disease 
that often a change of scene, the sight of a new 
face, or the meeting of some loved one from 
whom we have been long parted, will do more 
good than medicine. When very sick, even to 
109 
