C. THE HERB DOCTOR (Physician).
| Igqira elemiciza. | Amagqira awemiciza. |
| (The doctor, who is of herbs.) | |
The herb doctor is simply a Kaffir practitioner and differs in no essential respect from the European “herbalist,” only, he employs South African herbs and drugs.
Some of them devote their attention to one disease or to some small group of maladies, and by close observation and long experience, as also by benefitting by transmitted and traditional knowledge, they acquire fame as specialists and experts in the cure of disease; and people send for them, or go to them from great distances, and often reward them very liberally if they be successful.
It is not uncommon for the isanuse (witch doctor) to practice also as an igqira elemicisa (herb doctor).
As a witch doctor he administers emetics (see later) which have no relation to the healing art, but as a herb doctor he acts on the same principles as the others do and may be skilful as [[50]]such. He is at any rate not more grossly inconsistent than the Roman augurs were.