150 



whatever being known during the birth and the hygienic con- 

 ditions of a Greenland cottage being the worst imaginable. 

 That it is not more frequent is certainly because the substance 

 of infection is not brought into the parts of generation by 

 internal examination or artificial delivery; when it does take 

 place I think that the birth-giving woman herself infects her 

 parts of generation with her own dirty fingers. Assistance of 

 others is namely not used during the birth; when this has been 

 gone through, the navel string is cut over with a mussel- shell 

 or a similar blunt instrument. Ligature of the navel string is 

 not known, so the bleeding must be thought to stop on account 

 of the blunt cutting. There is no doubt that mechanical dis- 

 proportions may occur during the birth. Instances are known 

 of the mother dying during the birth without being delivered. 

 Having not seen nor heard about any case of rachitis, I do 

 not believe that rachitic deformations of the pelvis are the 

 causes of the mechanical disproportions. 



More considerable deforniities are certainly very rare, 

 children with such being as a rule undoubtedly killed shortly 

 after having been born. The only one I saw was a young man 

 whose left hand was somewhat deformed, being first nearly 

 4 ctm. shorter than the right one; the outermost points of the 

 three middlemost fingers were besides stiff, and between these, 

 being very delicate, a web was distended reaching nearly the 

 outermost point. — 



The East-Greenlanders do not know anything of cure of 

 illness beyond the magic arts of the Angekoks. Yet they have 

 during the last years sought medical aid from the missionary 

 of the colony, and they were very anxious to get medicine 

 from me. I vaccinated a considerable part — about Vs — of 

 the popoulation which they highly appreciated. Though I tried 

 to explain to them the meaning of the vaccination, yet they 

 certainly ascribed supernatural powers to it. And then it was to be 

 like the Europeans, something, they preferred to all in the world. 



