152 THE PRINCIPLES OF HEREDITY 



precautions against the after effects of the disease ; but never- 

 theless one twentieth of the population was carried off and 

 the remainder was so demoralized that it was threatened with 

 famine." 1 



253. Many Polynesians are able to recover from an attack 

 of measles if properly tended. The disease, in itself, is so 

 mild that it is not necessarily fatal even to individuals of 

 a race which has undergone no evolution against it. But 

 Polynesians suffer even when well tended to a disproportion- 

 ate extent from various after effects. Thus Davis writing 

 of the Samoan epidemic of 1893 writes : " Until a few 

 months ago measles had not entered this group (Samoa). It 

 was conveyed to Tonga 500 miles south of us by the New 

 Zealand steamer Upolo in June last, and from all accounts 

 we have received it nearly decimated that group. The same 

 steamer brought the contagion to our group nearly three 

 months afterwards. Here, as in Tonga, the epidemic was at 

 first mild. Comparatively few died at Samoa during the 

 period of fever and rash. The sequelae and complications 

 have caused the mortality. I have not been able to obtain 

 accurate statistics of the deaths from this recent epidemic 

 throughout Samoa, as the ten inhabited islands of this 

 volcanic and tropical group lie between five parallels of 

 latitude, or, with intervening straits, cover nearly 270 miles; 

 but judging from the accurate returns obtained here, and also 

 from reports obtained from missionaries and others, no fewer 

 than 1,000 of the entire population of 31,500 died from 

 measles up to the end of December 1883, and nearly half of 

 these adults. Since then there have probably been a few 

 hundreds more. 



254. "The epidemic was not malignant. Our mortality 

 has arisen principally from gastritis, enteritis, diarrhoea, and 

 dysentery. A few died from suppressed measles. The crav- 

 ing the natives manifest for raw fish, unripe or over-ripe 

 fruit, and especially half-cooked fresh pork, became morbid 

 during the period of convalescence. Many, lest they should 

 be told to avoid these, abstained from procuring foreign 

 medicine. Nine-tenths of the deaths could have been pre- 

 vented by care in diet. The worst cases of diarrhoea and 

 dysentery brought to me yielded to treatment. Cases under 

 one's own personal supervision, and where instructions were 

 followed, recovered. With the common strumous diathesis 

 it has excited no surprise to see so many adults as well as 

 children suffering from enlarged suppurating glands in the 



1 Thomson, The Diversions of a Prime Minister. 



