172 DISEASES. 



apparel, and the character of the climate. A proof of the correctness 

 of this conclusion came under my observation in the Solomon 

 Islands, where the white men in taking this disease from the 

 natives suffer from it frequently in the form of " dhobie itch." The 

 parasitic disease Tinea circinata tropica to which, as above shown, 

 all tropical ringworms should be referred is, as Dr. Fox remarks in 

 his work on " Skin Diseases " (3rd edit., 1873, p. 451), " nothing more 

 or less than ordinary ringworm of the body {tinea circinata), such 

 as Ave have in Europe, determined in its occurrence to certain parts 

 of the body by peculiar circumstances, and assuming charactei's 

 somewhat different from those observed in the disease as it exists 

 in colder climates, in consequence of the greater luxuriance of the 

 parasite consequent upon the presence in one case of a greater 

 amount of heat and moisture, which are favourable to the develop- 

 ment and speed the growth of fungi." 



The particular form of the disease to which the name Tokelau 

 Ringworm should be applied has a very wide distribution. Mr. G. 

 W. Earl in liis work on " The Papuans " (London, 1853 ; p. 37) 

 speaks of this disease under the name of " icthyosis " as being very 

 prevalent amongst all the coast tribes of the Indian Ai'chipelago : 

 but I gather from some references made by Mr. Wallace to this 

 affection in his account of the Malay Archipelago (3rd edit., 1872, 

 p. 449) that it is not to be found so much amongst the pure Malaj^s 

 as amongst the tribes of mixed origin. Mr. Marsden in his "History 

 of Sumatra " (London 1811, p. 190) refers to it as being very com- 

 mon amono'st the inhabitants of Pulo Nias an island which lies off 

 the west coast of Sumatra. His description of the disease leaves 

 no doubt as to its true character, but he himself is uncertain as to 

 whether it is an " impetigo " indicating a mild type of leprosy, or 

 whether it is not ordinary " shinn^les " or a confirmed sta2:e of ringf- 

 worm. The same disease was recently observed by Mr. H. 0. Forbes 

 amongst the natives of Tiinor-laut and of the island of Burn, islands 

 which lie at the opposite end of the Indian Archipelago.^ Two 

 centuries since, Dam pier well described this disease in the case of 

 the inhabitants of Mindanao in the Philippines and of those of 

 Guam in the Ladrones.^ ^ 



Coming to New Guinea, I find that this disease prevails all along 

 its coasts and in many of the off-lying islands, such as the Ki and 



1 "A Naturalist's Wanderings. in the Eastern Archipelago;" pp. .331, 402; London, 188.5. 

 ^ " Voyage round the World." London 1720, vol. i., p. 334. 



