South Africa. Poetry The Worst Horror This is the bitterest thing of all my day, That which I have loved so well, that now is dead And in a coffin laid away, of lead And cedarwood, immortal somewhere stays, Or as a ghost-cloud goes its lonely ways By strange and boundless forces urged ahead, Perhaps, like me, forlorn, uncomforted, But out of reach, howe'er one pleads or prays, Day after day with unending lament. This is the bitterest thing, that I no hand Can reach to help, or comfort to impart, No aid can give, and no encouragement; And that there wanders in that ghostly land Forlorn, that which I loved with all my heart! (Translated by C. J. D Harvey) Leipoldt wrote much about nature in general and in particular about the landscapes and legends of his beloved Hantam. His poetry also deals with the suffering caused by the Second Boer War and the culture and values of the Cape Malays. Most of his work does not translate well into English. Dietetics Leipoldt authored the book Common-Sense Dietetics in 1911. In the book he argued against total abstainers from both alcohol and meat. Leipoldt heavily criticized vegetarianism. A review in the British Medical Journal commented that "We cannot help doubting whether all the author's opinions so dogmatically expressed are based upon an experience that can justify them, for many of his comments suggest that he is speaking rather from hearsay than from personal knowledge. Nevertheless, he has written a lively and entertaining book, which we have no doubt will find many admirers among those who wish to eat and drink well." In 1936, Leipoldt updated his book under the title The Belly Book. A review of the book concluded that its chapter on diet and disease is "useless both to the doctor and to the layman, and abounds in statements for which there is no scientific justification." Legacy The C. Louis Leipoldt Medical Centre in Cape Town is named after the poet, as is the Louis Leipoldt Primary School in Lyttelton (Centurion). In 1927, botanist L.Bolus published a genus of flowering plants from Namibia and the Cape Provinces, belonging to the family Aizoaceae, as Leipoldtia in his honour. Selected publications Common-Sense Dietetics (1911) The Belly Book: Or Diner's Guide (1936) Bushveld Doctor (1937) 300 Years of Cape Wine (1974) Leipoldt's Cape Cookery (1976) References External links 1880 births 1947