TRIBAL CUSTOMS 99 
Butt-Thompson makes the remarkable statement that certain of the West 
African native society doctors ‘‘in one thing at least have anticipated a late dis- 
covery of modern pathology, for they have long cured general paralysis by allow- 
ing the patient to be bitten by malarial mosquitoes. This is done because they 
believe it is beneficial to put rival germs (although they do not give them that 
title) into deadly conflict. The doctors of Mungi, Ukamba and Ndembo fight 
the vidudu or paralysis with the pilinter of malaria, these terms being their 
equivalent for bacilli.”’ 
He gives no authority for the statement. We are inclined to question it. 
We heard nothing of such an idea in Liberia. In fact, generally speaking, paral- 
ysis was not observed in Liberia, and in parts of central Africa also, general 
paralysis is often very rare. 
Customs Regarding Death and Burial. Among most of the tribes, with the 
exception of those in the eastern and northeastern portion of the country, it is 
customary after death to expose the corpse for a day or two before burial. In 
some instances the time is extended to several days, in which case cannibalism 
is less likely to occur, for it is well known that freshly-buried bodies have often 
been exhumed and eaten. The members of some tribes believe that supernatural 
powers are obtained by eating such flesh. If the dead body is that of a chief or 
other important person in the village, it is often rubbed with kaolin and laid on 
a bier. While it is thus exposed the women of the family and of the village weep 
and wail over it, and in some communities a fire is kept burning and drums beat- 
ing to ward off the evil spirits. Westermann says that among the Kpwesi when 
the king dies his viscera are removed and that the body is then filled with dry 
herbs and smoked to preserve it. We were unable to verify this statement. In 
many instances before burial the body is sewn into a mat. Among some of the 
tribes it is customary to bury pieces of cloth with the corpse. All the articles of 
clothing or cloth so buried are torn or injured a little in order to ‘‘kill’”’ them. 
If the deceased is a woman, her beads or a bracelet may in addition be buried 
with her. A vessel containing cooked food is frequently put in the hand, and the 
Krus often put an empty bowl on the top of the grave and from time to time 
place in it a little palm oil or a small quantity of cooked rice. If the dead man 
was a chief, a hut may be built over the grave and even a chair or hammock 
placed in it for the dead to rest upon. The graves are usually shallow, no more 
than from two to four feet in depth. With some tribes it is customary to pile 
the earth or rake it up with the elbows on the top of the grave until it is several 
feet high, and then to beat it flat and to place flat stones upon the surface. The 
grave is also often enclosed with stones. 
The cemeteries are rarely within the villages, more often they are situated 
just outside the entrance or the exit. The graves are arranged in small clusters, 
sometimes beneath a large tree. The Vais often mark the site of the graves with 
a stick to which is tied a small piece of cloth. Along the coast the small islets 
have been frequently used for burying grounds. 
Birth Customs. Pregnant women work as usual until the pangs of labor 
begin. In some tribes it is customary for the woman to go to the bush to be 
