MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 227, 25 September 1928, Page 9

MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE.

POSSESSED BY POLYNESIANS.

THE PRACTICE OF SURGERY.

BEFORE WHITE MAN'S ARRIVAL.

That the Polynesian had an extensive knowledge of surgery and medicine before the coming of the European, was the impression left by Dr. E. P. Ellison, director of Maori hygiene, after he had delivered a public lecture on the subject under the auspices of the Anthropology and Maori Race section of the Auckland Institute hist evening. Mr. A. T. Pycroft presided. ,Dr. Ellison said he had gathered his material through personal contact with natives in various parts of the Pacific, especially in Nine, Chatham Islands, Cook Islands, Tonga. Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand. He said that he was surprised to get the best information from the Maoris of the south of New Zealand. The speaker proceeded to deal with the psychology of the Polynesian with reference to the part black magic and tohungaism played in his practice of medicine. Mr. Elsdon Best's opinion was that it would be too difficult to separate the two, but others did not support this contention. The Maoris had had one tohunga who dealt solely in medicine without calling upon magic.

The subject must not be considered from the present surgical and medical knowledge of the European, but from the knowledge that existed two hundred years ago. The European's knowledge then was generally poor. The Polynesian had his herbs and his methods of treating the sick when the whalers arrived and brought what the Maori needed most—firearms with which the Maoris could wreak vengeance on their enemies. They naturally dropped their medicines and rushed for the cine of the European—bluestone, and sulphur and treacle. He could take these without the fear and trembling associated with the tohunga. The progress of the Maori in his Icnowledge of medicine and herbs ceased. Operations Performed. Various surgical operations had been known to the Maori. Circumcision had been practised, and in extreme cases amputations were performed with flints. The Caesarean section, a delicate operation and only a recent innovation with the Burgeon, had been practised on occasions, according to a carving which the speaker had seen in Wellington. C*«terisation was also known to the M*«n-

For searing in cases of severe hemorrhage a supplejack was placed in a fire until it became a stick of carbon, and was then used redhot. Blood letting was also practised. Fractures were treated in the usual way by trying to get an alignment and then using splints. The speaker had seen a bone-setter in Mangaia. Rarotonga, who was doing quite good work. Of the cases examined by the speaker onlv one was a pronounced failure. Cut* and war wounds were treated by various methods. Herbs were used and in severe cases oil. Boils were treated by the application of cold compresses to draw them. Sometimes incision wa.« used, but often the sore was left to Nature to break at the weakest point. In cases of apparent drowning tne patient was inverted over dense smoke. After the water which had been swallowed had come out the patient wee wrapped up and treated by warmtii. There were many old people in the Taranaki and Waikato districts who told of cures by this method. Treatment of His. The Polynesian had very crude wave of extracting teeth. Sometimes a tooth was tied and then a hot ember poked at the victim, who jumped back and the tooth was jerked out. Toothache was, however, a very rare occurrence. Shock was treated by quietness and the application of lotions. Oil and peaty mud were used in the case of burns. The knowledge of massage was well advanced, especially in Niue. . The native masseur knew all the parts of the body perfectly, and his strokes were absolutely scientific. Some of bis methods of treatment were, however, t no drastic from the European point of view. A patient with abdominal pain might 1»e placed with his back on the floor and the masseur would do the work with his feet. In cases of infectious diseases seprrepation was used. The Maori neve- suffered from colds, and certain <ropir-a] diseases were unknown. Even to-day diphtheria was unknown anions: Maoris. The Polynesian was remarkably clean both with re<rard« his r>er=on and with regards the preparation of food.