Nkazya a small shrub, whose root is employed in Northern Guinea in the detection of witchcraft. Half a pint of the decoction of the root is the usual dose, and if it acts freely as a diuretic, the party is considered to be innocent; but if it acts as a narcotic, and produces vertigo or giddiness, it is a sure sign of guilt. "Small sticks," says Mr. Wilson, "are laid down at the distance of eighteen inches or two feet apart, and the suspected person, after he has swallowed the draught, is required to walk over them. If he has no vertigo he steps over them easily and naturally — but, on the other hand, if his brain is affected, he imagines they rise up before him like great logs, and in his awkward effort to step over them is very apt to reel and fall to the ground. In some cases this draught is taken by proxy, and if a man is found guilty, he is either put to death or heavily fined, and banished from the country,"
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More