THE KAHUNA OR NATIVE DOCTORFor centuries the practice of the healing art was largely in the hands of priests. They ministered to the body as well as the soul. Their practice was purely empirical and the surgery, even of the most skilled, rude and often brutal. The human mind is very much inclined to look upon disease and the methods used to effect a cure as something mysterious. Even at this late day many people who are well educated and who in everything else seem to possess a liberal amount of good common sense, have very strange ideas in regard to disease and the means employed in treatment. Promises to cure and a liberal expenditure of printers' ink render them an easy prey to mysterious methods. All races and all tribes have always had among them men and women in whom they confided in case of accident or disease. Very often priesthood and medicine were combined in the same person. Among the ancient Tahitians the chief was at the same time priest and medical adviser. The American Indians had their medicine-men, the Tahitians and other South Sea Islanders their Kahuna. It is very interesting to know something of the early practice of medicine and surgery among the Tahitians. Captain Cook gives them great credit from what he saw of their surgery:They perform cures in surgery, which our extensive knowledge in that branch has not, as yet, enabled us to imitate. In simple fractures, they bind them up with splints, but if part of the substance of the bone be lost, they insert a piece of wood, between the fractured ends, made hollow like the deficient part. In five or six days, the rapooa, or surgeon, inspects the wound, and finds the wood partly covered with the growing flesh. In as many more days, it is generally entirely covered; after which, when the patient has acquired some strength, he bathes in the water, and recovers.In speaking of medicine he says:Their physical knowledge seems more confined; and that, probably, because their diseases are fewer than their accidents. The priests, however, administer the juices of herbs in some cases; and women who are troubled with after-pains, or other disorders after child-bearing, use a remedy which one would think needless in a hot country. They first heat stones, as when they bake their food; then they lay a thick cloth over them, upon which is put a quantity of a small plant of the mustard kind; and these are covered with another cloth. Upon this they seat themselves, and sweat plentifully, to obtain a cure. They have no emetic medicine.In referring to the few indigenous diseases he adds:But this was before the arrival of the Europeans; for we have added to this short category a disease which abundantly supplies the place of all the others; and is now almost universal [syphilis]. For this they seem to have no effectual remedy. The priests, indeed, sometimes give them a medley of simples; but they own that it never cures them, and yet, they allow that, in a few cases, nature, without the assistance of a physician, exterminates the poison of this fatal disease, and perfect recovery is produced. They say that a man affected with it will often communicate it to others in the same house, by feeding out of the same utensils, or handling them, and that, in this case, they frequently die, while he recovers; though we see no reason why this should happen.On his fourth voyage to the Society Islands Captain Cook learned to what fearful extent syphilis had spread throughout all of the islands of the group and became aware what ravages it had caused among the natives. On visiting new islands he did all in his power to protect the natives against this scourge by excluding all women visitors from the ship and by strictly enjoining persons known to be infected from landing. On the probable effects of these new regulations he comments:Whether these regulations, dictated by humanity, had the desired effect, or no, time only can discover. I had been equally attentive to the same object when I first visited the Friendly Islands; yet I afterward found, with real concern, that I had not succeeded, and I am afraid that this will always be the case, in such voyages as ours, whenever it is necessary to have a number of people on shore.FAR-ADVANCED LEPROSYA CASE OF FAR-ADVANCED LEPROSY AFFECTING ALL LIMBSMassage as a remedial agent in the treatment of disease originated in the Orient, and the Tahitians were familiar with it and frequently made use of it. On this subject Captain Cook can speak from personal experience. During his stay in Tahiti in 1777 he suffered evidently from a severe attack of sciatica, the pain extending from the hip to the toes. King Otoo's mother, his three sisters and eight more women came on his ship one evening for the purpose of giving him treatment and remained all night to fulfill their well-meant mission. Here is the account of the treatment to which he was subjected by the women:I accepted the kindly offer, had a bed spread for them upon the cabin floor, and submitted myself to their directions. I was desired to lay myself down amongst them. Then, as many of them as could get around me, began to squeeze me with both hands, from head to foot, but more particularly on the parts where the pain was lodged, till they made my bones crack, and my flesh became a perfect mummy. In short, after undergoing this discipline about a quarter of an hour, I was glad to get away from them. However, the operation gave me immediate relief, which encouraged me to submit to another rubbing down before I went to bed; and it was so efficient that I found myself pretty easy all the night after. My female physicians repeated their prescription the next morning, before they went ashore, and again in the evening, when they returned on board; after which, I found the pains entirely removed, and the cure being perfected, they took leave of me the following morning. This they callromee, an operation which, in my opinion, far exceeds the flesh-brush, or anything of the kind that we make use of externally. It is universally practised amongst the islanders, being sometimes performed by men, but more generally by women.
THE KAHUNA OR NATIVE DOCTORFor centuries the practice of the healing art was largely in the hands of priests. They ministered to the body as well as the soul. Their practice was purely empirical and the surgery, even of the most skilled, rude and often brutal. The human mind is very much inclined to look upon disease and the methods used to effect a cure as something mysterious. Even at this late day many people who are well educated and who in everything else seem to possess a liberal amount of good common sense, have very strange ideas in regard to disease and the means employed in treatment. Promises to cure and a liberal expenditure of printers' ink render them an easy prey to mysterious methods. All races and all tribes have always had among them men and women in whom they confided in case of accident or disease. Very often priesthood and medicine were combined in the same person. Among the ancient Tahitians the chief was at the same time priest and medical adviser. The American Indians had their medicine-men, the Tahitians and other South Sea Islanders their Kahuna. It is very interesting to know something of the early practice of medicine and surgery among the Tahitians. Captain Cook gives them great credit from what he saw of their surgery:They perform cures in surgery, which our extensive knowledge in that branch has not, as yet, enabled us to imitate. In simple fractures, they bind them up with splints, but if part of the substance of the bone be lost, they insert a piece of wood, between the fractured ends, made hollow like the deficient part. In five or six days, the rapooa, or surgeon, inspects the wound, and finds the wood partly covered with the growing flesh. In as many more days, it is generally entirely covered; after which, when the patient has acquired some strength, he bathes in the water, and recovers.In speaking of medicine he says:Their physical knowledge seems more confined; and that, probably, because their diseases are fewer than their accidents. The priests, however, administer the juices of herbs in some cases; and women who are troubled with after-pains, or other disorders after child-bearing, use a remedy which one would think needless in a hot country. They first heat stones, as when they bake their food; then they lay a thick cloth over them, upon which is put a quantity of a small plant of the mustard kind; and these are covered with another cloth. Upon this they seat themselves, and sweat plentifully, to obtain a cure. They have no emetic medicine.In referring to the few indigenous diseases he adds:But this was before the arrival of the Europeans; for we have added to this short category a disease which abundantly supplies the place of all the others; and is now almost universal [syphilis]. For this they seem to have no effectual remedy. The priests, indeed, sometimes give them a medley of simples; but they own that it never cures them, and yet, they allow that, in a few cases, nature, without the assistance of a physician, exterminates the poison of this fatal disease, and perfect recovery is produced. They say that a man affected with it will often communicate it to others in the same house, by feeding out of the same utensils, or handling them, and that, in this case, they frequently die, while he recovers; though we see no reason why this should happen.On his fourth voyage to the Society Islands Captain Cook learned to what fearful extent syphilis had spread throughout all of the islands of the group and became aware what ravages it had caused among the natives. On visiting new islands he did all in his power to protect the natives against this scourge by excluding all women visitors from the ship and by strictly enjoining persons known to be infected from landing. On the probable effects of these new regulations he comments:Whether these regulations, dictated by humanity, had the desired effect, or no, time only can discover. I had been equally attentive to the same object when I first visited the Friendly Islands; yet I afterward found, with real concern, that I had not succeeded, and I am afraid that this will always be the case, in such voyages as ours, whenever it is necessary to have a number of people on shore.FAR-ADVANCED LEPROSYA CASE OF FAR-ADVANCED LEPROSY AFFECTING ALL LIMBSMassage as a remedial agent in the treatment of disease originated in the Orient, and the Tahitians were familiar with it and frequently made use of it. On this subject Captain Cook can speak from personal experience. During his stay in Tahiti in 1777 he suffered evidently from a severe attack of sciatica, the pain extending from the hip to the toes. King Otoo's mother, his three sisters and eight more women came on his ship one evening for the purpose of giving him treatment and remained all night to fulfill their well-meant mission. Here is the account of the treatment to which he was subjected by the women:I accepted the kindly offer, had a bed spread for them upon the cabin floor, and submitted myself to their directions. I was desired to lay myself down amongst them. Then, as many of them as could get around me, began to squeeze me with both hands, from head to foot, but more particularly on the parts where the pain was lodged, till they made my bones crack, and my flesh became a perfect mummy. In short, after undergoing this discipline about a quarter of an hour, I was glad to get away from them. However, the operation gave me immediate relief, which encouraged me to submit to another rubbing down before I went to bed; and it was so efficient that I found myself pretty easy all the night after. My female physicians repeated their prescription the next morning, before they went ashore, and again in the evening, when they returned on board; after which, I found the pains entirely removed, and the cure being perfected, they took leave of me the following morning. This they callromee, an operation which, in my opinion, far exceeds the flesh-brush, or anything of the kind that we make use of externally. It is universally practised amongst the islanders, being sometimes performed by men, but more generally by women.
For centuries the practice of the healing art was largely in the hands of priests. They ministered to the body as well as the soul. Their practice was purely empirical and the surgery, even of the most skilled, rude and often brutal. The human mind is very much inclined to look upon disease and the methods used to effect a cure as something mysterious. Even at this late day many people who are well educated and who in everything else seem to possess a liberal amount of good common sense, have very strange ideas in regard to disease and the means employed in treatment. Promises to cure and a liberal expenditure of printers' ink render them an easy prey to mysterious methods. All races and all tribes have always had among them men and women in whom they confided in case of accident or disease. Very often priesthood and medicine were combined in the same person. Among the ancient Tahitians the chief was at the same time priest and medical adviser. The American Indians had their medicine-men, the Tahitians and other South Sea Islanders their Kahuna. It is very interesting to know something of the early practice of medicine and surgery among the Tahitians. Captain Cook gives them great credit from what he saw of their surgery:
They perform cures in surgery, which our extensive knowledge in that branch has not, as yet, enabled us to imitate. In simple fractures, they bind them up with splints, but if part of the substance of the bone be lost, they insert a piece of wood, between the fractured ends, made hollow like the deficient part. In five or six days, the rapooa, or surgeon, inspects the wound, and finds the wood partly covered with the growing flesh. In as many more days, it is generally entirely covered; after which, when the patient has acquired some strength, he bathes in the water, and recovers.
In speaking of medicine he says:
Their physical knowledge seems more confined; and that, probably, because their diseases are fewer than their accidents. The priests, however, administer the juices of herbs in some cases; and women who are troubled with after-pains, or other disorders after child-bearing, use a remedy which one would think needless in a hot country. They first heat stones, as when they bake their food; then they lay a thick cloth over them, upon which is put a quantity of a small plant of the mustard kind; and these are covered with another cloth. Upon this they seat themselves, and sweat plentifully, to obtain a cure. They have no emetic medicine.
In referring to the few indigenous diseases he adds:
But this was before the arrival of the Europeans; for we have added to this short category a disease which abundantly supplies the place of all the others; and is now almost universal [syphilis]. For this they seem to have no effectual remedy. The priests, indeed, sometimes give them a medley of simples; but they own that it never cures them, and yet, they allow that, in a few cases, nature, without the assistance of a physician, exterminates the poison of this fatal disease, and perfect recovery is produced. They say that a man affected with it will often communicate it to others in the same house, by feeding out of the same utensils, or handling them, and that, in this case, they frequently die, while he recovers; though we see no reason why this should happen.
On his fourth voyage to the Society Islands Captain Cook learned to what fearful extent syphilis had spread throughout all of the islands of the group and became aware what ravages it had caused among the natives. On visiting new islands he did all in his power to protect the natives against this scourge by excluding all women visitors from the ship and by strictly enjoining persons known to be infected from landing. On the probable effects of these new regulations he comments:
Whether these regulations, dictated by humanity, had the desired effect, or no, time only can discover. I had been equally attentive to the same object when I first visited the Friendly Islands; yet I afterward found, with real concern, that I had not succeeded, and I am afraid that this will always be the case, in such voyages as ours, whenever it is necessary to have a number of people on shore.
FAR-ADVANCED LEPROSYA CASE OF FAR-ADVANCED LEPROSY AFFECTING ALL LIMBS
A CASE OF FAR-ADVANCED LEPROSY AFFECTING ALL LIMBS
Massage as a remedial agent in the treatment of disease originated in the Orient, and the Tahitians were familiar with it and frequently made use of it. On this subject Captain Cook can speak from personal experience. During his stay in Tahiti in 1777 he suffered evidently from a severe attack of sciatica, the pain extending from the hip to the toes. King Otoo's mother, his three sisters and eight more women came on his ship one evening for the purpose of giving him treatment and remained all night to fulfill their well-meant mission. Here is the account of the treatment to which he was subjected by the women:
I accepted the kindly offer, had a bed spread for them upon the cabin floor, and submitted myself to their directions. I was desired to lay myself down amongst them. Then, as many of them as could get around me, began to squeeze me with both hands, from head to foot, but more particularly on the parts where the pain was lodged, till they made my bones crack, and my flesh became a perfect mummy. In short, after undergoing this discipline about a quarter of an hour, I was glad to get away from them. However, the operation gave me immediate relief, which encouraged me to submit to another rubbing down before I went to bed; and it was so efficient that I found myself pretty easy all the night after. My female physicians repeated their prescription the next morning, before they went ashore, and again in the evening, when they returned on board; after which, I found the pains entirely removed, and the cure being perfected, they took leave of me the following morning. This they callromee, an operation which, in my opinion, far exceeds the flesh-brush, or anything of the kind that we make use of externally. It is universally practised amongst the islanders, being sometimes performed by men, but more generally by women.