Politicians and doctors: bloodsuckers all

Abstract

Author presents some data on attitudes towards illness, curing, and politics in a multiethnic farming community in rural Tanzania. He discusses the status of mchinjamchinja as it is variably perceived by the inhabitants and relate this to another category of capricious supernatural being, the shetani (pl. mashetani). Finally, he considers how these classes of extraordinary beings relate to public health employees and political statuses in the community.