780 REPORT— 1894. 



eome confusion between tlie functions of the different parts of the body, or between 

 the functions of the blood in relation to those of body and mind. Equally loose 

 are the notions respecting (iii.) bodily and mental disease. At first the diseased 

 were put to death, and when the hepling art originated, diseases were attributed 

 to divine or demoniacal agency. Such was the case even with the Assyrians, 

 Babylonians, and Greeks. This being the case, supernatural remedies were sought, 

 and although by Homer's day human methods were employed, yet traces of the 

 Divine iufluence are distinctly discernible. This is seen in the propitiation of evil 

 spirits, such as Nosos, Febris, Apollo, Artemis ; in the superstitious reverence 

 with which epilepsy and madness were regarded, together with many other super- 

 stitions of which glimpses appear as late as Plato. Especially instructive is the 

 worship of ^Esculapius, the patron of medicine, whose history, stripped of the 

 legendary lore that has gathered around him, reveals an historical personage. His 

 traditional descent from the Sun-God, his initiation by the Thessalian Centaur, the 

 combination of incantations and prayers, with human aids, like embrocations, 

 ealves, potions, and the knife, the peculiar custom of KaTaKoifiaadai, and the im- 

 portant part played by the serpent and the cock in his worship, exhibit a 

 strange mixture of the natural and supernatural, and well illustrate the early 

 evolution of the art of medicine. 



An examination of the growth of Imowledge of the body and mind, and their 

 treatment, therefore affords further proof that (1) the primitive condition of the 

 pioneers of civilisation was no higher than that of savages ; (2) the parallels 

 presented by words and ideas in countries widely separated from one another 

 cannot be satisfactorily explained by coincidence ; (3) the civilisation of Western 

 Europe, viewed as a whole, began in contact with the East. 



9. On the Alleged Presence of Negritoes in Borneo. 

 By H. Ling Roth. 



The circumstantial evidence collected by the late Mr. Earl that a people of a 

 negroid character existed in Borneo, and the discovery by M. Ilamy of a negrito 

 skull from that island, has led to the established belief that negritoes exist there. 

 The skull in question undoubtedly came from Borneo, and it is undoubtedly a 

 iiegrito skull ; but there is no proof that it originated in Borneo. "VVe know that 

 Andaman Islanders (negritoes) have been kidnapped by Malay and Ilanum pirates 

 and carried to India and other parts, so that for the present, in spite of the 

 strong circumstantial evidence, we must withhold our judgment as to whether 

 negritoes exist in Borneo. 



10. On the Possibility of a Common Language between Man and other 

 Animals. By Miss Agnes G. Weld. 



The authoress pointed out that the Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans believed that 

 at one time man and animals could understand each other's languages, whilst at 

 the present day an Irish peasant will tell you that the cock, on Easter morning, 

 crows in good Erse the tidings that the Lord is risen. In these old and popular 

 legends most stress is laid on the acquisition of human speech by animals, whereas 

 modern scientific effort is tending in the reverse direction. She believes that, with 

 the exception of the parrot and one or two other birds, the creatures below us in 

 the scale of existence are unable to pronounce the full gamut of sounds we can 

 utter, some making use of vowels alone, others merely of consonants, so that it is 

 far easier for us to speak in their language than for them to talk in ours. Miss 

 Weld proceeded to exemplify this by telling of a daily conversation she used to 

 hold with a wild nightingale, and tlien narrated the remarkable effect produced by 

 her upon a savage retriever that had set upon a collie. Miss Weld described how, 

 ■when she had growled out certain deep notes of dog language, an awestruck 

 expression came into the retriever's eyes ; and how, instantly letting go his hold of 



