Talk:Cape Hyrax

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Last paragraph: "Cape Hyraxes produce large quantities of hyraceum (sticky mass of dung and urine) that has been employed by people in the treatment of several medical disorders, including epilepsy and convulsions."

Does smearing yourself with rabit dung actually treat brain problems, or is it just one of those superstitious things that people did before medical science?

The Voortrekkers used to take hyraceum scrapings and blow them through a reed into the throats of children with lung problems. In the early days of antibiotics, the hyraceum was also used as a source for penicillin production.

The traditional remedy therefore does appear to have some scientific basis, albeit very unconventional.

[edit] Cape Hyraxes are found south of Syria, through North Africa and much of sub-Saharan Africa, Israel living in savanna or grassland areas.

This sentence needs some help. I'm not sure whether they live in the savanna or grasslands areas of all these places, or just Israel. Without knowing that, I don't know how to fix the sentence. I'm thinking "Cape Hyraxes are found in Israel, south of Syria, through North Africa and much of sub-Saharan Africa, (usually? Always?) living in savanna or grasslands areas."Lunch with Jason 13:21, 6 June 2006 (UTC)