aves eat in order to kill themselves; it is a diseased
appetite, and rich men who have plenty to eat are often subject to it.
The feet swell, flesh is lost, and the face looks haggard; the patient
can scarcely walk for shortness of breath and weakness, and he continues
eating till he dies. Here many slaves are now diseased with safura; the
clay built in walls is preferred, and Manyuema women when pregnant often
eat it. The cure is effected by drastic purges composed as follows: old
vinegar of cocoa-trees is put into a large basin, and old slag red-hot
cast into it, then "Moneye," asafoetida, half a rupee in weight,
copperas, sulph. ditto: a small glass of this, fasting morning and
evening, produces vomiting and purging of black dejections, this is
continued for seven days; no meat is to be eaten, but only old rice or
dura and water; a fowl in course of time: no fish, butter, eggs, or
beef for two years on pain of death. Mohamad's father had skill in the
cure, and the above is his prescription. Safura is thus a disease _per
se_; it is common in Manyuema, and makes me in a measure content to wait
for my medicines; from the description, inspissated bile seems to be the
agent of blocking up the gall-duct and duodenum and the clay or earth
may be nature trying to clear it away: the clay appears unchanged in the
stools, and in large quantity. A Banyamwezi carrier, who bore an
enormous load of copper, is now by safura scarcely able to walk; he took
it at Lualaba where food is abundant, and he is contented with his lot.
Squeeze a finger-nail, and if no blood appears beneath it, safura is the
cause of the bloodlessness.

FOOTNOTES:

[8] A precisely similar epidemic broke out at the settlement at
Magomero, in which fifty-four of the slaves liberated by Dr.
Livingstone and Bishop Mackenzie died. This disease is by far the most
fatal scourge the natives suffer from, not even excepting small-pox.
It is common throughout Tropical Africa. We believe that some
important facts have recently been brought to light regarding it, and
we can only trust sincerely that the true nature of the disorder will
be known in time, so that it may be successfully treated: at present
change of air and high feeding on a meat diet are the best remedies we
know.--ED.

[9] Dr. Livingstone never ceased to impress upon Europeans the utter
necessity of living on the high table-lands of the interior, rather
than on the sea-board or the banks of the great arte