2 transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Zealand, while the balance of the paper is composed of 

 extracts, &c, from many works, and is the result of some 

 vears of careful research on the part of Dr. Goldie. I fail to 

 see that a non -professional person, who is a mere collector of 

 notes, is competent to edit or rearrange the matter contained 

 in this paper. It will therefore be presented in practically 

 the same form as it was in when it reached my hands. My 

 own contributions to this paper have been taken from two 

 articles written by myself, but not yet printed, on " Maori 

 Treatment of Disease," and " Eites and Customs pertaining 

 to Birth, &c, among the Maori People." As so many works 

 have been drawn upon in the compilation of this paper, it is 

 perhaps needless to say that I do not agree with some of 

 the statements therein. Eegarding the numberless decoc- 

 tions, &c, used as medicines in modern times by the Maoris, 

 it is certain that nearly all such have come into use since the 

 arrival of Europeans, and that very few internal medicines 

 were used by the old-time Maori. — Elsdon Best.) 



The following notes have been collected and compiled with 

 a view to placing on record some account of the diseases 

 ■which afflicted the Maori in past times, as also those in- 

 tro iuced by Europeans ; and to explain the manner in which 

 a primitive, neolithic people looked upon disease, as to origin 

 and treatment thereof. Knowing, as we do, the Maori to be 

 an extremely superstitious people, it is not surprising to note 

 that they had made but little progress in the inquiry as to the 

 cause and cure of disease ; indeed, their treatment of disease 

 lay in the sphere of magic and shamanism. Hence we shall 

 note in this article many curious beliefs, myths, and super- 

 s' itions connected with sickness. The Maori appears, per- 

 haps, to less advantage in this than in any other depart- 

 ment of knowledge, for he was completely in the hands of an 

 unscrupulous and ignorant priesthood. It will be observed 

 that universal use was made of charms and incantations 

 to prevent and cure disease, &c. Many hundreds of such 

 charms weir carefully conserved by the shamanistic priests, 

 and handed down to their successors. There were also 

 many singular rites performed in connection with sick 

 persons, but of these we have by no means a full or clear 

 mnt. This paper, although lamentably incomplete, will 

 yet record a considerable amount of matter which now for the 

 firs! time Bees i he light. 



Classification and Diagnosis of 1>isk\>i zs 



The Maori, saj 8 Best, divided the causes of death into four 

 distinct groups namelj il) Mate atua, or death due to super- 

 natural influences — i.e., demons, gods, witchcraft; (2) mate 



i, by war: (.">) mate tara whare, natural decay; and 



