300 



FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 



Fig. 73. Fig. 72. 



respectively. A piece of wood, somewhat the size and shape of 

 an ordinary penholder, is split at its extremity for an inch, into 

 which a small shark's tooth is inserted and bound in the cleft, by 

 cotton in one case and by native fibre in another. 



On Funafuti I failed to purchase original 

 specimens, though such were in existence at 

 the time of our visit. Models were, however, 

 made for me, larger and rougher than the 

 Nukulailai specimens. The serrate-toothed 

 lancet, from the jaw of Galeocerdo rayneri 

 (fig. 72) for bleeding, is called "nifikifa''; 

 the straight-edge tooth lancet iromCarcharias 

 lamia (fig. 73), for puncturing, is known as 

 " bunga." 



These instruments were described to me 

 as used like a tatooing pen, that is, the 

 handle was held in the left hand so that the 

 point of the tooth was placed just over 

 the spot to be punctured, then the handle 

 was smartly tapped by a stick held in the right hand and the point 

 driven in. Dr. Collingwood writes : " The tooth of the instru- 

 ment is placed over the abscess, and with one blow it is forced 

 into the cavity of the same, while there 

 the extremity of the handle of the lance 

 is made to pass through a semicircle, with 

 the result in a skilful hand an elliptical 

 piece of flesh is removed, thereby prevent- 

 ing the two rapid closure of the wound."* 

 In Tahiti, " they were clever at lancing 

 an abscess with the thorn from a kind of 

 bramble or a shark's tooth, "f 



Fig. 74 shows a roll of prepared bark 

 of the vala-vala (Premna taitensis) used 

 in cautery, as mentioned on p. 37. 



In Hawaii the skin was scorched with fire-brands in times of 

 mourning. J 



In Japan, " moxa, or the burning of a small cone of cottony 

 fibres of the Artemisia, on the back and feet, was practised as 

 early as the eleventh century, reference being made to it in a 

 poem written at that time." 



* The Tasmania^ Mail, 6th March, 1897, p. 34. 



f Ellis Joe. cit., iii., p. 44. 



t Ellis loc. cit., iv., p. 181. 



Griffis The Mikado's Empire, 1887, p. 207. 



Fig. 74. 



