466 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
of nostalgia. Their knowledge of surgery being limited, they died fre- 
quently from slight wounds. Sometimes great Maori chiefs dropped dead 
from excessive excitement. In times of war, or of scanty food supply, the 
old women were killed. A few died from the bite of the katipo, or poisonous 
spider, and a few from eating poisonous berries, and some are said to have — 
died from sunstroke. ~ 
Now, the Maoris have quitted all their old hill-forts, and live at the edg 
of a bush or a swamp, almost always on low-lying, damp, ill-drained spots. 
Tt was the author of “Old New Zealand” who first drew our attention to 
this most important fact. Their old hill-forts were sunny and airy; the 
winds blew away the odours, and they were often above the mists and dews 
that hang round their present habitations. Usually perched on the edge 
of a cliff, with a scanty humus beneath their whares, and below that again 
rocks which let the water escape, these places were always dry and 
tolerably clean. Now, however, they live in sheltered spots, with only a 
moderate amount of sunlight and but little wind, with abundance of 
morning and evening moistness ; below, a thick black humus, with probably 
a clay basis which retains the water. This land lying low there is usually 
no subsoil and still less surface drainage. The soil all round their whares 
is often spongy with retained water and decaying organic matter ; even the 
floor of their huts is frequently damp. In very many cases it would have 
been quite impossible for them to have chosen worse or more unhealthy 
sites for their dwellings. Iam quite convinced that this question of change 
of site is infinitely more powerful in its effects than has hitherto been sup- 
posed. The chief disease that kills the Maoris is consumption. I believe it 
kills more than all the other diseases put together. In any assembly of ae 
Maoris there is sure to be heard a large proportion of coughs, with a death- 
knell ringing in their tones. We are apt to think consumption dreadfully 
disastrous to our own kith and kin, but among the Maoris its effects are 
still more terrible. Consumptive people among ourselves do frequently 
refrain from marriage for fear of its affecting their offspring, but amoPg 
the Maoris no such sentiment prevails. No matter how consumptive they 
will marry, and the results are seen in the sickly offspring, dying early of 
kindred inherited diseases. Usually among ourselves, even if persons with 
@ consumptive diathesis marry, they mate with healthy people who are not 
their kinsfolk. With the Maoris it is altogether different. I am quile 
convinced that this change of locality is one of the most important factors 
leading to extinction of the race. The whole evidence of modern medicine 
shows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the two chief causes of PAUNST 
amongst all nations is thei i £ phthisical people, and dwelling 
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