THE HAWAIIAN PEOPLE. 79 



many strands of finely liraided luniian liair on ■which was suspended, as a 

 pendant, a nuicli-prized ornament, tlie palaoa, made from the tooth of a whale 

 or walrus. These were tabn to all below the rank of chief. Necklaces of ivory 

 beads were also prized; bracelets of shells, especially the pipipi, and of whale 

 ivory, were worn, fastened on the back of the wrist with a small cord of olona. 

 Boars' teeth were also used as bracelets. A beautiful amber tone was given 

 to many of the ivory ornaments by wrapping them in ki leaves and exposing 

 them for considerable time in the heavy, strong smoke of sugar-cane. 



Medicine of the Hawaiians. 



Of the practice of medicine and the use of medicinal herbs among the 

 ancient Hawaiians, but little is known further than that it was a matter of 

 worship rather than the practice of a healing art. It seems that superstition 

 was the principal element combined with vegetable substances and crude sur- 

 gery. The doctors were a distinct class of priests who worshipped certain gods 

 from whom they were supposed to have inherited their knowledge of medicine. 

 They were regular in the practice of their art in that they exacted offerings 

 for the god of medicine before they would undertake a cure, and then forbade 

 certain articles of food to the sick. As a matter of fact they seem to have 

 had considerable knowledge of the medicinal properties of herbs though they were 

 bj' no means uniformly successful in their prescription and use. They followed 

 a crude form of external diagnosis for internal ailments. They were adept 

 in the use of rubbing and manipulation to alleviate soreness and minor ills. 

 They set limbs with some skill, reduced inflammation by the use of herb 

 poultices and made use of the pulp of the calabash gourd vine as a cathartic. 

 Patients were held over the smoke of specially prepared fires for certain ail- 

 ments, were steamed over hot stones for others, and so on through a long list 

 of practices that were, no doubt, useful in securing to the patients the satisfac- 

 tion of feeling that they were at least doing something for their ailments. From 

 the natural history point of view their practice of medicine adds much interest 

 to the study of the botany of the islands, for a surprisingly large number of na- 

 tive plants were well known as specifics for different diseases, and to this day 

 frequent allusions are made by the natives to the uses of various plants by the 

 old kahuna doctors. 



Implements of Warfare. 



Although war was an important vocation with the ancient Hawaiians, 

 there being a certain period of the year set apart during which it might 

 properly be engaged in, the implements were few and simple. They consisted 

 chiefly of spears, javelins, daggers and clubs made of tough wood and were, as 

 a rule, smoothly polished. They had no armor other than the gourd masks 

 worn by the canoe men. The Hawaiian warriors preferred to fight dressed 

 in their malos only. x\s a substitute for the shield, a device of which they ap- 



