TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 79 
is'so essential to the formation of a moral and religious character. He has laws 
which define conduct, but they are founded on self-interest, superstition or vanity. 
Truth and moral feeling cannot be traced as elements in any part of his conduct or 
customs, His excessive vanity and want of truthfulness make him boastful, and 
tend to give an exaggerated character to all his statements. Individual quarrels or 
combats are of rare occurrence; while the most extraordinary disregard for life will 
be found to exist without courage. Notwithstanding the general character of the New 
Zealander for benevolence, he is destitute of natural affection as a feeling: neither 
the parent nor the child cherish towards each cther any of that strong regard which 
is natural to, and frequent among Europeans. His social morality is low, the 
absence of virtue not being considered even a disgrace, much less a crime. 
— 
On Cretinism. By Dr. Twintne. 
Dr. Twining first described its forms and degrees. Marsden saw goitre in the 
valleys of the Ural, Baikal and Caucasian mountains; Forbes in the Himalaya, and 
M‘Clelland in the Shore Valley. Sir G. Staunton saw cretins in the narrow valleys 
of Tartary, and that they lead a mere animal life, acting alcne from the impulse of 
their senses. In Africa there are only two parts known where goitre occurs. Leo 
Africanus saw goitre in the high mountains of Atlas in Morocco, and Mungo ‘Park 
among the Kong mountains in Bambara. Of cretinism in America we have fuller 
accounts. Richardson saw goitre and cretins on the banks of the Saskatchewan, 
and near the sources of the Elann and Friedeu rivers. Prof. Bartun states goitre to 
be prevalent at Oneida among the Americans and the Dutch settlers, and in all the 
State of New York, near the Mohawk river. It occurs also in Lower Canada, in 
marshy districts. In South America goitre occurs independently of cretinism iit 
Nicaragua and Sante Fé. Humboldt saw the most frightful cases of goitre on the 
Magdalena river, and chiefly higher, to the elevation of 6000 feet above the sea, on 
the high plain of Bogota, and states that the copper-coloured natives were generally 
free from goitre. It occurs also in Quito and the Onachiffa Valley near Lima, under 
various atmospheric influences, and on the Corderillas. In the Villarica Valley, in 
Brazil, 4000 feet above the sea, goitre is frequent, not only in man but animals, as 
the goat; and many villages are filled with cretins. Prof. Poffig states that in the 
Andes in Chili, on the east side, in some races he did not see a case of goitre; and 
yet in the white inhabitants, who live exactly as the natives, it prevails in a great 
degree. On the Andes, between Santa Rosa and Mendoza, the peasants dwell on 
the west side as high as 7000 feet above the sea, and on the east to 6000 feet, and 
are free from gcitre, but lower, at 3500 feet, goitre is endemic. The nature of the 
formation seems to have no direct influence as a cause of cretinism, as cretins are 
found on all. It would seem that where the springs come from the limestone, goitre 
is most frequently endemic; but as in many villages where goitre and cretinism pre« 
vail there is no lime, it cannot be the sole cause. Dr. Twining concluded by ex« 
pressing a hope that the many travellers there assembled would, when investigating 
the geology or the races of the high mountain chains, not forget the state of the in- 
habitants of the valleys with regard to cretinism. That cretins can become healthy 
and intelligent has been proved by Dr. Guggenbiihl, in the success that his benevo- 
lent exertions at the Hospital for cretin children, on the Abenberg, near Inter- 
lachen, have met with; but it can only be by the united efforts of many that.a scien- 
tific account of cretinism can be attained. In order to facilitate such inquiries, Dr. 
Twining suggested the following method: first, to. state the name of the place, its 
situation and elevation:above the sea, and the race} secondly, the geological forma- 
tion, springs and climate; thirdly, the state of the houses and the habits—whether 
goitre only prevails, or is accompanied by cretinism. 
On the Natives of Old Calebar, Africa. By Professor Dantett. 
_ The natives, although of Eboe extraction, present some physical deviations that 
serve to distinguish them from other tribes of a similar derivation. The natives of 
the Bonny Mun,.who are purely of Eboe descent, and therefore less mixed with the 
people of other nations, may be taken as the typical illustration to institute compa- 
. 
