BY WILLIAM E. ARMIT, F.L.S., F.R.G.S. 1 
peculiar skin disease was very prevalent. Those afflicted with 
it had the appearance of having been carefully traced all over 
with elegant arabesques. Desquamation is going on constantly, 
and shells are used to scrape the body, scratching not giving 
sufficient relief. I do not doubt that this disease is caused 
by some sub-cutaneous parasite, not unlike that which is asso- 
ciated with rmg-worm. It is not difficult to cure, and generally 
succumbs to the use of yellow soap and sulphur ointment. 
Several cases of phthisis came under my observation during 
my stay at Moresby Island. The natives seemed quite ignorant 
of medicine, and nothing was given these unfortunates to 
relieve them. 
Opthalmia also occurs, and this they can cure with almost 
miraculous rapidity, by simply expressing a couple of drops of the 
juice of a trailing plant (belonging to the natural order Compo- 
sitee) into the eye. 
I never came across a deformed Papuan during my travels, 
and saw only one blind man, who was an object of most tender 
and affectionate care. 
Ulcers are common about Port Moresby and inland, but of 
rare occurrence among the Islands. 
The general method adopted to cure all kinds of diseases is 
by incantation. Sorcerers therefore ,do a great trade, and 
look askance at the white man, who pooh-poohs their power. 
These people appear to me far happier in their primitive state 
than we who boast of our high state of culture. They certainly 
stand higher than we do in their moral attributes, in fact, they 
live in a state which I have often heard spoken of as the ideal 
creation of an enthusiast’s phantasy. I cannot do better than 
close this paper with a quotation from Mr. Wallace’s celebrated 
work, more especially as every word of it is true, and can be 
proved by others :—‘‘ Now it is very remarkable, that among 
people in a very low state of civilisation, we find some approach 
to such a perfect social state. I have lived with communities 
