Nr. 27

A male slave had been constipated with excrements for two months before he passed away. During this period his belly had been hard and swollen, and he had a lot of evil fluids in his body. His hands and feet were also swollen, but I could not identify anything that looked like a single disease. Besides that he was very healthy: he ate and drank well and talked and laughed with the other negroes. I often purged him, but with little effect. He would not have diarrhea. Every now and then I gave him garlic root-bulb, a suppository and a daily elixir of saffron, myrrh and aloe. The swelling, however, stayed, until he eventually stopped eating. He wanted to lie down all the time, so I made him walk down constantly to keep him standing and I put him with the other slaves for them to keep his body moving. Having tried my utmost, however, with all means in vain, he died the 3rd of this month.