62 Transaction*. — M iscella neo u s . 



come swollen and shining, but not tubercular. The skin is 

 dry and harsh, but never anaesthetic. In about a year (it may 

 be more or less) from the appearance of the eruption, a small 

 boil, blister, or dry crack appears in the direction of the flexure. 

 on the last joint of some of the fingers or toes. The soft parts 

 ulcerate by a dry process, the phalanx falls away, and the part 

 heals. Everv year one or more of the joints fall off. There 

 is sometimes pain along the lymphatics during this process. 

 The other ringers or toes are dry, shining, and scabby, and the 

 hand assumes a deformity somewhat like the main-en-griffc 

 of nerve leprosy, the fingers being kept bent, the skin and ten- 

 dons appear to contract, and the fingers are stiff : dislocation 

 at some of the joints takes place. The acute sense of touch 

 of the fingers is impaired, yet feeling is not quite lost, unless in 

 the fingers about to drop off. Three, four, or more years may 

 elapse before the whole of the toes or the fingers are lost. The 

 appetite and digestion are good. The general health does not 

 appeared to be impaired, and the body keeps up its usual weight. 

 Sexual desire is diminished. Infants are never attacked ; a boy 

 of about twelve years of age has been seen affected. Most of 

 the cases occur after puberty, and under thirty. Males appear 

 to suffer more commonly than females. Several members of 

 one family have died from it. It is not always, though usually, 

 fatal. Its duration varies from one to five years." 



Lepra gangrenosa was most familiar to the Maoris under 

 the name ngerengere, or, when the face was much disfigured, 

 matangerewjerc (mata, the face). Other names given by Tregear* 

 as being applied to "a kind of leprosy" are taiko, ringamutu 

 tuwheke, and luwhenua. The two latter also signified "covered 

 with sores " ; while tuhawaiki was " the native leprosy, a disease 

 in which the extremities perish as though by frostbite." Mutu- 

 mubu was " a kind of leprosy, whereby the first joint of a finger 

 or toe Ealls off." 



Leprosy was probably brought to New Zealand (luring the 

 early migrations from Hawaiki. for there can be little doubt 

 that the disease has been known to the Maoris for centuries. 

 The term tuhawaiki or tu-Hawaiki suggests such a mode of in- 

 troduction; and. as significant of the antiquity of the disease 

 among them, may be cited the case of Te-whai-po (Incantations 

 mted at night), a legendary tohunga " born before the flood," 

 whose " skin was not like other men's, but all white from leprosy." 

 To the deified priest-physician, or demi-god, Maiwaho (or Tama- 

 i-waho), " a mosl eminent man. and of great healing power 

 an 1 influence," " all offerings were made, ceremonies per- 

 formed, and incantations chanted for the afflicted and leprous. 



* " The Maori Comparative Dictionary." 



