SCIENCE v. SUPERSTITION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5278, 23 February 1878, Page 2 (Supplement)

SCIENCE v. SUPERSTITION.

(From the Colonics.)

We recently quoted a curious instance of the superstitions which prevail among many of our Indian fellow-subjects. The Nngas, one of the numerous tribes on the Assam frontier, are particularly afraid of smallpox, a disease which they treat as a personal enemy with which It is impossible to contend. Eeoently, on the occurrence of a case of smallpox in their midst, the whole of the men, fully armed, and accompanied by their wives and children, deserted their homes and started for the woods and jungle, where they dwelt for a month. On their return they were amazed to find the sick man recovered, and expressed their surprise that he had not been burnt alive, this being, in th eir opinion, the only way of preventing the spread of the disease. These superstitions are among the most difficult characteristics .. qf'jjsemi-civilised races. In South difficulty occurs among the Kaffirs, who cannot be'induced to trust to scientific medicinal cures, but prefer the superstitions rites which interested charlatans encourage.

Tho existence of " witch doctors” among the Kaffirs has had much t o do with the outbreak of the Kaffir wars. The "doctors” suddenly turned “ prophets,” and promised victory to their followers, professing to be able to bewitch the enemy. Among; their own people implicit faith was formerly placed; in the power of these witch doctors. Whenever a person was afflicted with'sickness, the witch doctor was sent for to smell out the individual " who bewitched the patient ; this proceedure generally ended in the torture by fire, or stinging ants, and in the death of the person accused, in addition to his being stripped of all his cattle and property. The sick people, whether suffering from fevers or dysentery, Were generally covered over with cow-dung, while the doctor professed by virtue of his power, combined with suction, to extract the poisoned matter from the interior of the body. Sometimes the'doctor exultingly exhibited a lizard, a piece of stick, or a stone (which he had concealed about him), as the successful result of this operation. Fortunately, however, the system of medical relief which has

been spreading throughout the Cape Colony during the last twenty years has done much to break down the influence of these men. It will be long, no doubt, before the teachings of science will be implicitly received by people accustomed to such superstitions ; but sound policy, humanity, duty, and the necessity ;of strengthening by every proper means our hold over the multitudinous races' 'over which we hold sway, point to the necessity for overcoming these prejudices. It is impossible, however, to expect barbarous races to accept the teachings of science while we find the same scepticism—in the matter of vaccination, for instance—among educated persons in our own country.