Boils. I-tumba are specially recognised and treated by poulticing. The discharging pus is believed to be bad blood and its removal a great good to the person’s system. [[64]]
d. Respiratory Organs.
Bronchitis, Consumption, Isifuba, the chest; a generic term used generally to indicate a complaint with a cough.
Consumption is only recently known although, painful to relate, it is now becoming rather prevalent.
Treatment. Various decoctions are used and usually in large quantities. The plants Umsintsana (Erythrina Humei), Ubu-vumba (Withania somnifera), Um-pafa (Ziziphus mucronata), Undende, Um-kwenkwe (Pittosporum virideflorum), Ise-dikele (Lasiosiphon Meisneri), Um-bungosh (Eichensteinia interrupta). The root of this last boiled in milk has a great reputation. It has, however, to be used with caution as it is liable to cause severe headaches. Um-hlonyane (Artemisia Afr), I-colocolo (Helichrysum nudiflorum), Umtumana (Solanum Capense), In-dlebe yemvu (Helichrysum appendiculatum), In zinziniba (Lippia asperifolia), I-tyolo (Clematis brachiata), etc., are all used in the form of decoction or infusion in chest cases with cough or in Umbefu (Asthma.) The leaves may be smoked or burned in a closed hut and so inhaled. [[65]]
In cases where there is pain as well as cough as in Pleurisy, I-hlaba (a stitch) the roots and bark of Um-nungumabele (Xanthoxylon Capense) (wild cardamom) are boiled and freely used.
The skin over the pain is freely incised and scarified “Ukuqapula” and the powdered dry root of the Xanthoxylon well rubbed in. This local treatment is called “Uku faka umhlabelo.”
Note: Special inquiry elicits the fact, that except where European influence has intervened poultices are not used in chest complaints without local pain.