But Notwithstanding That Longevity Is Uncommon Among Them, It
Appeared To Me That Their Diseases Are But Few In Number.
Their
simple diet and active way of life preserve them from many of those
disorders which embitter the days of luxury and idleness.
Fevers
and fluxes are the most common and the most fatal. For these they
generally apply saphies to different parts of the body, and perform
a great many other superstitious ceremonies - some of which are
indeed well calculated to inspire the patient with the hope of
recovery, and divert his mind from brooding over his own danger - but
I have sometimes observed among them a more systematic mode of
treatment. On the first attack of a fever, when the patient
complains of cold, he is frequently placed in a sort of vapour-bath.
This is done by spreading branches of the nauclea orientalis upon
hot wood embers, and laying the patient upon them, wrapped up in a
large cotton cloth. Water is then sprinkled upon the branches,
which, descending to the hot embers, soon covers the patient with a
cloud of vapour, in which he is allowed to remain until the embers
are almost extinguished. This practice commonly produces a profuse
perspiration, and wonderfully relieves the sufferer.
For the dysentery they use the bark of different trees reduced to
powder and mixed with the patient's food; but this practice is in
general very unsuccessful.
The other diseases which prevail among the negroes are the yaws, the
elephantiasis, and a leprosy of the very worst kind.
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