110 Transactions.- Miscellaneous. 



Twins (mahanqa) and triplets have been known among the 

 Maoris, but were not frequently seen, and three children born at 

 one time have never been reared. Maori women often give 

 birth to large families. One case is reported of fifteen children 

 by one woman. 



Premature labour and miscarriages were not uncommon ; in 

 fact, one well-informed medical man states that the latter were 

 of frequent occurrence, many females suffering as often as from 

 Two or three to ten or twelve times. Whether this was the result 

 of procuration, or simply accidental, he was unable to say ; but 

 he had strong suspicions that the former was frequently put into 

 practice. The native woman, however, was subject to many 

 accidental causes of such a condition. Dr. Dieffenbach stated 

 that many children were still-born ; but he suspected that in 

 almost all these cases death was caused by the mother. 



Various methods were resorted to to bring about the un- 

 natural condition which was termed whaka take, mate roto (to 

 die within), or tutae atua (lit. "excrement of the gods"). In 

 some instances herbs were taken, such as a decoction of the 

 kareao (Rhipogonum scandens) ; in others the desired end was 

 obtained by pressing violently upon the abdomen with a belt ; 

 and. in addition, they had some instrumental method, but its 

 precis'.' nature is unknown. It does not seem to have been in 

 very general use. 



'' According to Maori belief, premature birth was usually 

 caused by some infringement of the laws of tapu on the part of 

 the mother, and for which she would be thus punished by the 

 gods. When a woman, in former times, desired to procure 

 abortion on herself she would proceed to taiki the foetus — thai 

 is, she would pollute a tapu person, as a tohunga, or one of her 

 elders, by passing some cooked food over his garment or his 

 resting-place. Or she might take a portion of cooked food to 

 some sacred place and there eat it. Such acts would, to the 

 native mind, be deemed quite sufficient to cause a miscarriage. 

 Generally when a woman noticed that she was papuni — i.e., thai 

 menstrual ion had stopped, and she was pregnant — and desired 

 to procure abortion, she would proceed to some sacred place. 

 as the tuahu. where priests performed various religious rites, 

 and she would pluck some herb growing there, and. applying 

 it to her mouth, would then cast it away. This would he (piite 

 sufficient: she has •eaten." or polluted, a sacred place. The 

 gods will attend to her case." (Tuhoe.) 



A child bom with a caul (noho kahu) will, it is said, grow 

 up pert and forward, and will be a famous fighting-man. 



The greasy substance (vernix caseosa) which often covers the 

 skin of a new-born child is believed bv the Maoris to be " food 



