INFLUENCE OF THE TOHUNGA WANING AMONG MAORIS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 10, 15 March 1950, Page 8

INFLUENCE OF THE TOHUNGA WANING AMONG MAORIS

Belief in the healing powers of the tohunga and the medicinal properties of native herbs have survived from remote times among some Maoris of the Urewera Country. Until the beginning of the century, the Tuhoe people used natural cures for most complaints. Since then, education has destroyed many of the old beliefs, and the increase in diseases has forced the Maoris to rely more on modern medical treatment. Suspicion of European medicines and an inherent belief in the old remedies prompt some of the older Maoris to consult the tohunga in cases of‘sickness. Often these medicine men and faith healers have a lucrative pdactice, but their power is said to be waning. Doctors, nurses and missionaries encounter cases that have been treated by the tohunga, but they are rarely able to discover the nature of the remedies employed. Has Disappeared The practices of the tohunga are well known to social workers, who uegard them more with= amusement than concern. Most of the objectionable usages have' disappeared through education and the effect of the law. Those that remain are merely quaint survivals of ancient custom, including the administering of herbal remedies for minor complaints. While these primitive cures may not do much harm, they are thought to do some good. Apart from the treatment of sick persons, herbs are widely used for doctoring horses, which are still one of the main assets of these isolated people. Bushmen, too, find them useful in case of emergency, and help to keep alive a dying art. Otherwise the knowledge is carefully guarded. It is known that certain elderly women in the district dispense these remdeies and, while they will prepare them for European sufferers, they will not divulge the recipes. The manono tree provides one of the universal cures employed by the Maoris. It is used for stomach ache, itch, cuts, sores and sprains. The roots boiled in a little water are said to relieve internal disorders almost immediately. Often the bark is crushed and applied to septic cuts and bruises, and the berries When boiled produce a liquid which looks like iodine and is used for the same purpose.

Flax Roots Used ' Flax roots are also used for internal complaints, and are often preferred to proprietary medicines. The outer covering is removed from the roots, which are cooked for an hour in water. The black liquid is drunk, providing quick relief according to sufferers. Skin complaints are treated with koromiko leaves, and the : sap of the mapou is sometimes ernpl°y e d against eczema. The sap of the matai is also regarded as a cure for sores and boils, but its use is restricted because extracting the sap generally kills the tree. A peculiar belief ip the power of cold water to cure j many diseases still exists. It seems to have originated from the old purificatory rites carried out by the tohungas of old, and from the fact that hot water is held to be tapu. Sick people are sometimes immersed in streams in the belief that they will recover. A child suffering from pneumonia was treated with an application of frost, but, contrary to the old-established belief, the patient died.

-The value of some of the herbal treatments is appreciated by doctors who have worked for many years among the Maoris. Recently a Maori suffering from a varicose ulcer was treated with European methods without much change in his condition. Finally he consulted a tohunga, who recommended a poultice of prepared dock leaves. The man returned to the doctor with his condition much improved, and was advised to continue with the treatment. *>

Desire To Co-operate The tohungas show a greater desire to co-operate • with the Europeans than they did. Often they will advise their patients to consult a doctor when they find that their treatment is not effective. Others confine their activities to minor but sometimes chronic complaints. Generally the Maoris of the Urewera Country are becoming less inclined to consult the tohunga, and the benefits of medical science are being readily accepted with a corresponding improvement in the health of the people.