Desert Doctor

Administering healing salves in a Bedouin encampment

(Greg) When David Livingstone traipsed across the African sub-continent, he and his exploring band were afflicted by all kinds of nasty maladies: tsetse fly-borne sleeping sickness, malaria, yellow fever and skin disorders of all types. So, as the 6 explorers, we were kind of hoping we might have the same kind of authentic experience. As we emerged from Kenya and arrived in the Sinai, we did. Or rather, Alexandra did.

Large, hard, red, juicy, infected abscesses started popping up on her legs. They would grow, explode and then get really bad. Considering where we had been – and the fact that half of Livingstone’s men either deserted or died – we thought seeking modern medical help would be prudent. Alexandra and I took a pickup truck to the local doctor who fortunately had a huge Italian-made cast iron hyperbaric chamber in his offices; which was comforting because one of the nasty beasties on her leg was likely to soon envelop her head and throw her into decompression bends.

The magic black tar stuff is in the tub in front

The doctor hummphed and huffed over her active flowing calderas. He cleaned them and prescribed an oral antibiotic, some special salves and ointments and – most important – the magic black tar stuff that was guaranteed to “pull the sickness and venoms from inside her.” His prescription booty is pictured to the left (except the Colgate which I included cuz it looks cool). I was to dress her wounds 3 to 5 times a day, come back in 2 days time and see. I assured him that I would do my best to nurse her but there was no cause for concern as I had three other kids. This humor was lost in translation.

Now a week and 3 more visits later, her fever is gone and the legs are starting to return to normal. I will, however, continue to carry both small tubs of magic black tar stuff with me in case we have headaches or dental issues over the next 9 months.