MAORI TOHUNGAS AND EUROPEAN QUACKS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2145, 30 July 1907, Page 3

MAORI TOHUNGAS AND EUROPEAN QUACKS.

, (Christchurch Press.) \ Bill has been introduced by the Hon. Mr. Carroll, entjtlerl Iho hunga Suppression Bill. It Provides that “every person who is, 01 "ho pretends to ho, a tohunga or who gathers Maoris around linn by P 1 ctls ing on their superstition or credulity, or who misleads or attempts to mislead anv Maori by professing or protending to profess supernatural powers in the treatment or cure of any disease or in the foretelling of futuio “’or otherwise’’ shall ho liable t j „ fine not exceeding ten pounds or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, lie cordially approve of this Bill, which, wo hope, will he made law. As the preamble states, th 0 “designing persons, commonly known as tohungas, by practising on the superstition and crodulity of the Maoris, havo done a large amount of mischief by causing then' to waste their substance and unsettling their minds. In other cases, by their barbarous methods of treating the.sick, they havo inflicted a largo amount of uunoccsstiry suiioring and actually brought about wi© death of their luckless patients. AN o hope that tlio Letrislaturo will take care not only to logislato against tlio Maori tohunga, but that it will attempt to protect the Europeans against the impudent pretensions and reckless practices of tho quack, who boldly professi's to euro tho most terrible'diseases without possessing even an elementary knowledge of pathology and Inedicinc. Some striking illustrations of the mischief wrought bv these predatory pests havo been brought before the public from time to time, and it cannot be denied that there is a very strong case for their suppression. Wo admit that it w.l be a littlo difficult to legislate against tho noxious quack without doing injury or injustice to tlio harmless necessary but technically “unqualified’’ vendor of useful drugs. Siti'l it ought not to he Beyond tho ' power of our legislators, assisted by tho trained skill of tlio new Drafting Counsel, Professor Salmond, to devise some measure which shall meet the case, and so put an end to a very ’ serious scandal.