9 



travelled througli all the tribes to tlie westward. Is it not 

 likely that this terrible disease, " the smallpox," was intro- 

 duced here bj these trepang-fishers some hundred of years 

 ago, and then spread gradually all over the Continent ? 



The remedy the natives apply to cure smallpox is a thick 

 milky-looking juice obtained from a leafless vine* found along 

 the shores of mangrove flats. It twines in among other bushes, 

 and is called by Port Darwin natives " G-aoloowurrah." This 

 juice is put on the sores, and left till it forms a scab, which is 

 washed off so soon as it gets loose, when the sore is found to 

 be healed, the skin is white, and takes about a year to attain 

 its natural colour. This remedy is said to be a sure cure, 

 although some who used it lost their eyesight ; but strange to 

 say some patients object to having it applied, but why they 

 cannot explain. 



Fever. — Malarious fever is very prevalent among the natives, 

 but they do not seem to have any remedy for this complaint, 

 and it terminates fatally in many cases. 



Boils are also frequently met with, and affect young andold 

 alike. So soon as they make their appearance they are poul. 

 ticed with leaves and hot water till they break. 



Coughs and Colds are very common complaints among the 

 natives, which they cure by eating a kind of grub found in 

 mangrove trees, and drink the liquid with which the grub is 

 surrounded when in the wood. This grub resembles very much 

 the common earthworm. 



Ringivorm, or a very similar disease, is a plague from which 

 the natives in the neighbourhood of Port Darwin suffer 

 greatly. This disease spreads over large portions of the body, 

 and I have seen the whole of the abdomen covered with it as 

 well as the greater portion of the back. The natives say the 

 AYoolnahs bring this disease from the Adelaide Hiver. It 

 certainly seems to be very local, for it is not known at Port 

 Essington, nor west of Port Darwin. The Alligator and 

 Adelaide Eivers and Port Darwin tribes seem to be the only 

 ones troubled with this complaint. The only remedy applied 

 is to put the affected parts close to a brisk fire till the skin 

 gets scorched, which they say kills the disease. 



Syphilis is occasionally met with, but it is by no means 

 common among the natives. I have seen only a few cases 

 during the eleven years I have been here. 



Venereal disease is rather prevalent, and they have some 

 means of curing it. 



Broken limhs are set with a good deal of skill and placed 



* On my recent visit to the Northern Territory, the plant, which was 

 shown to me by a native in company with the author, proved to be Sarcos- 

 temma australe, E. Br. — B. Tate. 



