A large number of natives, when they come to us, show fresh or old marks of incisions that have been made on their bodies, a dozen or more cuts into the skin, even in tiny babies. This is done to let out the evil spirit that is supposed to be causing the sickness.
Some of the tribes desire to improve their personal appearance by pulling out their eyelashes. You may be sure that this brings in business for the doctors, on account of the resulting conjunctivitis. Another pernicious practice is that of chipping the upper incisors to a sharp point. This brings premature decay. Pulling teeth is a part of the work of physicians and of any one else who is able and willing to undertake it. Pyorrhoea is a very common disease and the source of much trouble.
The removal of the lower two first incisors may have arisen from an epidemic of lockjaw, but there is doubt of the explanation. There are too many foolish customs to apply that reason. At times babies of six months of age will have their four eye teeth drug out to cure diarrhoea. It is said to be a good cure.
Superstition being so rife in this land, one may naturally expect some peculiar actions in the life of these people. Twins are considered as bringing bad luck and often have to pay the penalty with death. One woman brought to us who had given birth to twins. Following the birth of one child, there was found to be another, so she was carried out into the bush to die alone. Three nights she lay out in the damp, cold, black African night, the wild animals about, her only companion being her mother who did have sufficient concern to stay with her. When they were compelled by the European owner of the farm where this took place to bring her here, she was too far gone to recover and another life paid the penalty of going contrary to the dictates of superstition.
A breech presentation is considered also be bad luck and it may be in more ways than one. Similarly a babe born in the caul is looked on with disfavor and the caul and babe will be buried together, no effort being made to remove the child and resuscitate it. Thus cheaply is life held in this land. Among the Agikuyu with whom we are working it has been the custom to carry the dead or seriously ill out into the bush to become food for the hyenas and other denizens of the bush and forest. One tribe says that to bury a person defiles the ground.
So we might go on enumerating many sad and strange and unpleasant happenings that are all too common in this land of heathen darkness. These are not conditions to be cured by homoeopathy, though it will wonderfully relieve many of the resulting afflictions. They require moral and spiritual teaching and instruction, and we are rejoicing in seeing some of the teachings of years bearing fruit, slowly and timidly, but surely.
For the young man or woman who is seeking to make his life useful and to serve the greatest number of suffering mankind, here is a unique opportunity. The fear of the white man has passed. We can operate on almost any condition or disease we are care to undertake. The inmates of a hospital do not now want to leave when another dies. They are building better homes, wearing nicer clothing, using some sanitary measures, and beginning to see the benefits of some of the innovations brought in by the white man. There is much yet to be done and everywhere there is need for efficient medical and surgical men and women. KIJABE, KENYA COLONY, AFRICA.
