10 



in a kind of splint made of strips of bamboo and fastened 

 together witb string made of the bark of Banyan trees, and 

 large enough to go round the injured limb. It is then tightly 

 secured with string, and left till the break or fracture is 

 healed. Should inflammation set in the part is bathed with 

 hot or cold water. 



Neuralgia is cured by making a poultice of the fruit of the 

 red Eugenia, if obtainable, by roasting them in the fire, mashing 

 them up and putting it w^hile hot on a piece of soft bark (paper 

 bark), which is placed over the affected part till all the moisture 

 is absorbed and the poultice quite dry, when it is replaced by a 

 fresh one. According to the statement of the natives, the 

 second application invariably cures the complaint. 



Gatherings in the ears, from which the natives suffer a great 

 deal during the wet season from lying on the wet ground, is 

 also treated with the above-mentioned fruit by squeezing the 

 juice after the fruit is roasted into the ear. 



Lunacg in a mild form is occasionally met with, and the 

 natives have great faith in the application of iron bark and 

 native plum-tree leaves heated over a fire, with which the whole 

 head and face is covered. 



Wounds are not much thought of, and are treated in various 

 ways. Spear-wounds are generally stopped up wdth pounded 

 bark of the native plum-tree, to keep out the air ; fresh boiled 

 urine is freely applied, which generally heals the wound, un- 

 less internal injury has been received. 



Cut loouncls and old sores, especially of a constitutional 

 nature, are treated with a resinous substance of a blood-red 

 appearance, called by the Port Darwin natives " gnewiiylah," 

 and is obtained from a Eucalyptus tree. When taken from the 

 tree it is generally very hard, but when put in water and 

 squeezed it gets soft like putty. It is well washed, and all the 

 dirt removed. It is then spread thickly on a piece of paper- 

 bark like a plaster and applied to the wound or sore ; and it is 

 left on till it gets dry, which it does in a few days, when it is 

 easily taken off ; and if the wound is not closed, fresh plaster 

 is applied until the sore is healed up. Eresh wounds are also 

 treated with the scraped bark of a bush called by the Port 

 Darwin natives " malimgarracah." It is soaked in urine, and 

 applied to the wound. The juice obtained from the bark of 

 the milk tree, and called " gaolooaniilkah," is said to possess 

 extraordinary healing properties. It is applied to the wound 

 with the finger, and is very sticky. The natives state this juice 

 destroys the eyesight if a drop should get into the eye, and 

 they always shut their eyes when cutting the bark to get the 

 juice. 



I have a native in my employ who had a good-sized sore on 



