79
B bis i n e s s
February <1928
T h e
K i n g ’ s
in g a moment, as if she feared to hurt the feelings of the President, she said, “ Mr, President, I am a Christian, and when I became such I promised my Lord that I would go no place where I could not take Him with me, or ask His blessing. I could hardly do this at the theater, and for that reason I do not go.” It is said that Abraham Lincoln never again asked her to accompany him to such a place, but it is known that again and again when they were driv ing together on some mission o f mercy in the various .hos pitals, he would say to his coachman^“ Drive a little' slower.” And then he would say to Mrs. Pomeroy, “ Tell me more o f this Christ whom you serve.” Such a life always has power, and this is simply being consistent; and not in any sense fanatical. — 6—• L ed B y U nseen H and Henry Watterson in his famous . lecture on Lincoln very eloquently says: “ Born as lowly as the Son of God, in a hovel; .reared in penury, squalor, with no gleam of light or fair’ Sur rounding; without graces, actual or acquired; without name or fame or official training; it was reserved for this strange being, late in life, to be snatched from, obscurity, raised to supreme command at a supreme moment, and in trusted with the destiny of a nation. “ The great leaders of his party, the most' experienced; and accomplished men of the day, were made to;, stand aside, were sent to the; rear, while this fantastic figure ¡Was. led by unseen hands to the front and given the reins of power. It is immaterial whether we ¡were for. him or against him ; wholly immaterial. That during four years’ responsibility greater than the world ever witnessed before, he filled the vast space allotted to him in the- eyes and actions o f mankind, is to say that he was inspired of God, for nowhere else could he have acquired the wisdom and virtue.” Even Savages Have Gray Matter A N article in The Golden Book for November, 1927, A shows the fallacy of the popular notion that the A f rican savage ranks little higher than the brute, beast in intelligence. Living half naked in the squalor of a mud hut in the wilds of the primeval bush, soaked in weird superstitions, one would not expect the savage mind to glimmer with the light o f intelligence. Yet, what do we find? . The fact remains that many an epoch-making scientific truth discovered by white men during the past few years was known to the African savage centuries ago. The discovery that general paralysis, hitherto re garded as incurable, can be cured by inoculating suf ferers with malaria, has been hailed as one of the most remarkable triumphs of medical research since Sir Ron ald Ross, 30 years ago, discovered the connection between malaria and mosquitoes. Yet more than 400 years ago, witch doctors of the Iramba tribe who, to this day, live on the Daua Plateau in Tanganyika, had not only discovered that malaria was a cure for general paralysis, but they were prescribing'mos quito-bite as a medicine for paralytic patients in exactly the same manner as Harley Street specialists are doing today! Quinine, itself one o f the most valuable specifics knpwn to medicine, was discovered by savages before it was
known to the civilized world. It was introduced into Europe soon after the discovery of Peru, where it had long been used by the savages as a cure for malaria. But a cure was discovered quite independently by the African savage, who was denied, the use o f cinchona bark, which does not grow wild in Africa, and who found out that the roots of various species of aconite possess curative powers in cases o f malaria, inducing perspiration, reducing fever and acting as an anodyne. But the savage did even better. He discovered long before the white man that both malaria and paralysis were caused by “ germs.” . It is only 29 years since Ross-proved to an astounded world that malaria was caused by mosquitoes. And science would scarcely believe it! It was common knowledge in Africa generations ago. Thousands o f pounds might have been saved to British settlers in Africa and elsewhere where sheep and cattle axe ranched, if veterinary science, grappling with the problems of cattle scourge and sheep-bane in the sub-tr'Opics, had consulted savage stock-owners. The cattle-owning tribes Of East Africa, who per capita are the wealthiest people in the world, owning hundreds of, thousands'of head of cat tle," sheep, and goats, knew'long before the advent of the white man to their country that these stock' diseases are caused by the bite o f grass ticks which infest the grazing grounds; These tribes not only knew these ticks, but they took the precaution of burning the grass on the grazing grounds; every year-end, with the object o f ‘destroying the scourge-carrying pests which took such toll of their cattle and sheet). It is also a fact that the'only known cure for leprosy is treatment with chaulmoogra oil, which was used medicinally by savages long before its germ-suffocating properties were discovered by doctors. Another interesting item bearing upon the subject of Surgery, comes from The Pathfinder. It is as follows: Modern Hindu scholars assert that they'have found in the ancient literature of their country, that many o f the modern discoveries in medicine and surgery are really lost arts- arts that had been known and practiced by the Hin dus thousands o f years ago. They claim that Hindu phy sicians, 2,000 years ago, used the same general methods of diagnosis employed today. The condition of the eyes and skin was carefully noted, then the pulsé was taken. Many surgical operations, believed to have, been performed for the first time within the last 50 years, are said to have been performed successfully thousands o f years ago bÿ the Hindus. Such medical knowledge as vaccination, anes thesia and antiseptic surgery was common at that tithe. The “ Veda,” the four holy books of thé anciënt Hindus, contains a medical portion known as the “ Ayur Veda,” or “ Science of Life.” It was written long bèforë thé Chris tian era and in it may be found elaborate articles oh sur gery, diseases of thé head, constitutional disorders, nervous diseases, children’s diseases, antidotes for poisons, personal hygiene and the preservation of vitality. The Greatness of Goodness “ In the effort to appreciate various forms of greatness, let.us not underestimate the value o f a simply, good life,” says Edward H. Griggs. “ Just to be good, to keep life pure from 'degrading elements, to make it constantly help ful in little ways to those who are touched by it, to keep one’s spirit always sweet, and avoid all manner o f petty anger and irritability— that is an ideal as noble as it is difficult.” ,
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