If a man collects the saliva of an enemy and takes it away to a medicine man (murogi) who makes suitable medicine of it, the owner becomes afflicted with a bad throat.
A wife must not sleep away from her village while her husband is on a journey, nor bring a male friend to the village; she may shave her head in his absence, although this is barred among some tribes.
Magical Remedies for Sterility.—Among the A-Kamba of Ulu there are various remedies for barrenness in women. The husband consults a medicine man, who casts lots, “piga mbau” to find out which of the various remedies must be adopted. When the proper kind of remedy has been discovered, the husband takes his wife to the discoverer of the remedy (ng͠nondu), who administers it.
Various remedies are in vogue, viz:
- (1) A piece of the trunk of the mumo tree is cut out and bound in the woman’s bead loin band. [[197]]
- (2) One of the yellow fruits of a common wild weed is bound in the loin band. It is called baringo, and is probably a Solanum.
- (3) A goat is led round the woman seven times, and the aiimu are promised a goat if she proves fertile.
- (4) A goat or fowl is killed. Its blood is poured on the woman’s head till it trickles down her back and breast. She is thus supposed to derive new blood.
- (5) The leather tails of her loin cloth are knotted.
Medicine is also made from the following:
- (1) Two twigs of the mukengesia tree.
- (2) One twig of the musumsuyia tree.
A branch of mulali tree sufficiently long to go round the woman’s waist is then cut.
The woman’s loin skin apron is cut into two pieces, and a knot is tied in one of them.
The mulali branch is then passed round her waist and tied into a knot.