Browne — The Ethnography of Garumna and Lettermullen. 241 



For most of the following notes regarding the health of the people, I 

 am indebted to the kindness of Dr. Connolly, the medical officer 

 of the district. I had also the opportunity of seeing many cases 

 personally. 



Consanguineous Marriages. — Marriages between persons related in 

 any near degree are not at all as common as in most of our western 

 islands, but it is said that unions of those beyond the prohibited 

 degree are not uncommon. The difficulties of communication in the 

 past, and the strong clannish feeling which still remains, causes most 

 of the marriages to occur within the community, and local feeling is 

 against breach of this unwritten rule. Several of the people (fisher- 

 men and kelp-burners) statedthat they considered it unlucky to maiTy 

 out of the islands. Each island, as a rule, too, seems to keep much to 

 itself in affairs of this kind. In spite of this feeling, however, the 

 people of Lettermullen sometimes intermarry with those of Kilkerrin, 

 and those of Garumna with the inhabitants of Aran and Carraroe, 

 places at which the fishermen call habitually. The usual result of 

 these marriages within the community is, as was observed in other 

 places surveyed, a strong personal resemblance among the people, and 

 a certain fixity of physical type. 



Diseases. — The following notes embody what information could be 

 obtained as to the state of the population as regards disease. It should 

 be remarked that difficulty was experienced in getting accurate infor- 

 mation on some points. Figures are given wherever they could be 

 accurately ascertained. The principal diseases and diseased conditions 

 are as follows : — 



Insanity. — Is reported to be rare : all those that have occurred 

 here are said to be melancholia. Two cases have occurred since 

 1895. 



Idiocy and Imlecility. — There are two cases of idiocy in one 

 family in Garumna (the parents were not related in any degree ; 

 father from Aran). There is also a case of slight imbecility in 

 Lettermullen. 



Cretinism. — A case of cretinism was met with (photograph taken) 

 in the village of Trabane, in Garumna. A male 18 years of age, 3 feet 

 high. There was no relationship between parents or grandparents. 

 Another case, the diagnosis of which was less definite, but apparently 

 of the same nature, was observed in Lettermullen. Parents in this 

 case were distantly related. These are the only cases which have 

 occurred on the islands. 



Epile2>sy. — Only two cases are known to exist, but there may 



