128 MIDWIFERY. 



length from the abdomen of the infant. The 

 parent then taking some water into her mouth, 

 throws it over the child, rubbing the infant at 

 the same time with coarse grass ; and this, I 

 suppose, they would call cleaning the little new- 

 born creature. The first flow of milk is not 

 given by the mother to the child, as they say it 

 would produce griping. The afterbirth is buried 

 by the mother, and soon taken up again and 

 burnt ; it is only buried, however, if they are 

 not prepared to burn it immediately, but it is 

 usually destroyed on the same day or night on 

 which the woman has been delivered, although 

 I could not ascertain correctly whether they en- 

 tertain any such superstitious notions regarding 

 the placenta, as obtains among the New Zealand 

 females, yet by the care in burning it some such 

 idea no doubt exists among them.* If the 

 placenta is retained long after the birth of the 

 infant, they endeavour to excite uterine con- 

 traction, by employing pressure on the lower 



* At New Zealand the placenta is named " fenua," which 

 word signifies land. It is applied by the natives to the pla- 

 centa, from their supposing it to be the residence of the 

 child: on being discharged, it is immediately buried with 

 great care, as they have the superstitious idea that the priests, 

 if offended, would procure it ; and, by praying over it, occa- 

 sion the death of both mother and child, by " praying them 

 to death,'' to use their own expression. 



