MYSTEBIOUS MALADIES-. 33 



were seventy -three people on the island, including 

 the minister and his serving-maid. 



Formerly the infants of St. Kilda used to be 

 nearly all carried off by a mysterious malady 

 known as " eight-day sickness." Tlie disease gener- 

 ally manifested itself by the little stranger refusing 

 to partake of nourishment on the fifth day after its 

 advent into the world, and proved fatal on the 

 eighth. So great were the odds in favour of every 

 child born dying before the completion of its eighth 

 day, that mothers never thought of providing cloth- 

 ing for their babies until they had passed the 

 period of danger. The reason for delaying the 

 preparation of infant garments will be understood 

 when it is mentioned that two mothers in St. Kilda 

 had had twenty-eight children between them, and 

 only succeeded in rearing four. But thanks to Mr. 

 Fiddes, who now brings the St. Kildans into the 

 world, marries them, and l^uries them, all this has 

 been changed. Bv proper treatment and the use 

 of antiseptics, he has stopped the ravages of the 

 disease ; and all honour to him for his conquest. 



" Stranger's cold " is another remarkable affection 

 which invariably attacks the islanders on the arrival 

 of a boat. It is a kind of influenza of which the 

 natives stand in great dread, and the factor told 

 me that he was afraid even to blow his nose in 

 the presence of any of them, lest they should, in 

 the event of its breaking out amongst them, accuse 

 him of having brought it. 



The malady is of great antiquity^, for Martin 

 gave offence on the occasion of his visit by telling 

 the people that he thought their " notion of infection 

 but a mere fancy." 



During our stay on the island tliere were one 

 or two cases of illness. One old man's condition 



D 



