Dr Henry Lichtenstein
Dr. Martin Karel Heinrich (Henry) Lichtenstein was ’n Duitse dokter wat wyd deur die Kaap gereis het en kommentaar gelewer het oor die landskap, ekonomie en die mense wat hy raakgeloop het. Hy het in die Kaap aangekom op ’n tydstip toe die Kaap deur die Bataafse Republiek regeer is. Toe generaal Janssens deur die regering van die Bataafse Republiek as goewerneur van die Kaap aangestel is, het dr. Lichtenstein, reeds ’n geesdriftige natuurkenner, sy dienste as geneesheer vir Janssens se huishouding en as leermeester vir sy seun aangebied. Mettertyd het die aangewese goewerneur en sy gesin, insluitend die jong dokter, die res na die Kaap aangepak en op 23 Desember 1802 in Tafelbaai aangekom.
Links is ‘n man en vrou van die “Koossas”. Regs is die Wapens, Ornamente en Implimente van die ‘Koossa” Huishouding
In die tweede volume (HiPSA volume no I-11) word Lichtenstein se reis terug Kaap toe, via Graaff-Reinet en die Karoo, beskryf. Sy laaste reis het hom noord geneem na Kuruman, waar hy die Korannas en die Betsjoeanas raakgeloop het. ’n Bylaag bespreek die taal van die “wilde Hottentot-stamme”.
Na sy terugkeer na Kaapstad is Lichtenstein aangestel as mediese offisier van die “Hottentot Infanteriebataljon” en in 1805 is hy as Regeringskommissaris na die Betsjoeanas toe gestuur.
‘n Uitsig op die Karreeberge met Volstruise en Kwaggas in die voorgrond
Hierdie volume dek sy eerste reis in 1803 na die westelike en noordelike dele van die kolonie, na Saldanhabaai, die Bokkeveld en die Groot Karoo. Van daar af het hy Swellendam besoek en met die suidkus langs na Algoabaai gereis. Die volume word afgesluit met sy ontmoeting met swartmense so ver oos as die Visrivier. ‘n Bylaag tot die eerste volume bespreek die Xhosa-taal.
Die Kicherer Sendelinginsituut aan die Sakrivier naby vandag se Calvinia
Toe die Kaap in 1806 aan die Engelse oorhandig is, het hy teruggekeer na Duitsland, waar hy in 1811 as professor in Dierkunde aan die Berlynse Universiteit aangestel is. Twee jaar later het hy die direkteur van die Soölogiese Museum geword en was die stigter van die dieretuin in Berlyn.
Die huidige werk, wat in twee volumes in Berlyn gepubliseer is, het in 1810 en 1812 verskyn, en ’n Engelse vertaling, ook in twee volumes, is in 1812 en 1815 uitgereik.
UITTREKSEL UIT DIE TEKS
110 TRAVELS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
[…] them, contrary to all sense and reason, often come to a formidable height, and end in hectic complaints, Which prove fatal. The stone is here a much too common complaint among the men: this is perhaps to be ascribed in great measure to the bad water, and the want of spirituous liquors. In those districts where vines are cultivated, and good wine is made, or where wine is to be had cheap, the evil does not exist. There is another disease which is not very frequent among the white people, but when they are afflicted with it from their total ignorance of the manner in which it ought to be treated, it commonly gets to a formidable height. It is much more frequent among the Hottentots, but what is extraordinary, is not so manifestly destructive to them.
Gout and rheumatism are among the diseases to which the colonists are more particularly subject. By removing to a milder part of the country, or by the use of the warm bath, these evils are, however, more easily subdued than many others. Children suffer much from quinsies, but this is the only disease prevalent among them scrofula is seldom to be seen, and the small-pox is quite extirpated from the interior of the colony. Fevers are not frequent, and never arrive at the formidable height among the native colonists that they do among Europeans, whether in their own countries, or as emigrants in this.
Notwithstanding that our stock of medicines was very ample, yet it would soon have been exhausted, if I had administered to the wants of every body that came to consult me. I therefore found it expedient to make myself acquainted with the properties of such medical plants as grew in the neighbourhood, and had recourse to them in most instances, since otherwise we should have been left without resources, in case of any of our own party being sick. By the advice of a friend in the Cape Town, I carried with me a stock of Halle medicines, in which he told me the colonists placed confidence, and that it was not easy to make a more acceptable present than a glass of pulvis asmodicus, or essentia dulcis. As I did not, however, place equal confidence in these medicines, I re to give them as specifics in cases of real disease: I only availed myself of them occasionally when I ed to make some little return for civilities received, or when I was for any other reason desirous of obliging. Through the medium of my medicinal knowledge, I acquired myself many friends among the colonists, and ~y subsequent travels through these countries I ~i the readiness I had always shewn upon this ion to give my assistance wherever it was wanted y repaid by a thousand little courtesies, and by universal esteem and regard with which I was received. One inconvenience I experienced from it, many an hour was by this means lost to me, which I wished to have been able to devote to other pursuits. It occasioned me, besides, to have much less time for ~e than any of my companions, since, from the number of patients I had to attend to, it often happened no other opportunities remained for me to make my excursions in quest of the treasures I was always desirous of obtaining, except the hours which should been devoted to rest.