72 Tra nsactions. — Miscella neo u s . 



In former times toothache and gum-boils were of frequent 

 •occurrence, but until the advent of the colonist decayed teeth 

 were rarely seen. In a series of eighty-three skulls examined 

 by Professor Scott,* of the Otago University, the teeth were 

 all free from the slightest sign of dental caries. In seven he 

 noted the cavities of alveolar abscesses (tunga-puku). " Six of 

 these cavities are found in the upper jaw, one in the lower ; and 

 most of them have been at the roots of either the incisor or 

 premolar teeth." 



Toothache (niho-tunga, tunga-raupapa, or mamae o nga niho) 

 was attributed by the Maoris, as it is by many peoples of low 

 culture, to the gnawing of a grub, worm, maggot, or insect. 

 The tunga is the grub of a species of beetle inhabiting decayed 

 wood, and niho-tunga is the term applied by the natives to both 

 toothache and decayed teeth, while tunga-puku is an alveolar 

 abscess or gum-boil. 



One method of treating toothache is to place one end of a 

 small stick against the tooth and then to strike the other end 

 a smart tap with another stick. The Australian blacks extracted 

 incisor teeth by a similar procedure in their initiation ceremonies. 

 but we are not aware that the Maoris ever resorted to teeth-ex- 

 traction in odontalgia. Another cure is for the person to hold 

 some of his urine in his mouth for a time. This is done early 

 in the morning, and is supposed to kill the ngarara (reptile) 

 whose burrowing causes the pain. A modern cure is to place 

 in the hollow tooth a piece of the " chestnut " (inaki) of a horse's 

 lc<l ; but the patient must not see the maki, or no cure will be 

 effected : he must get some one else to procure it and place 

 it in his tooth. The application to the affected tooth of a piece 

 of the tough, leathery cocoon of a certain caterpillar, which is 

 found attached to branches of the manuka shrub, is another 

 reputed remedy. The most efficient of their herbal remedies 

 was perhaps the New Zealand pepper (Macropiper excelsum), 

 the leaves and berries of which have a warm aromatic flavour. 

 The leaves and root were chewed as a remedy for toothache. 

 This plant closely resembles the kara (Piper methysticum) of 

 Polynesia, but its root does not possess similar sedative or nar- 

 cotic powers. A very strong decoction of pukatea bark held in 

 the mouth for some time relieves toothache, as does also the 

 bark of the ngaio-ttee (Myoporum loetum). The sap of a plant 

 known as kopukupuku or maruru is also used. The Leaves are 

 clenched between the teeth of the suffering person, who is then 

 told to Bleep, and when he awakens the pain will have dis 

 appeared. But, as in the former case, the sufferer must not see 

 the leaves, or they will lose their medicinal power. 



* Trans. X.Z. [nst., 1893, p. -'!. 



