266 ^'^^ Philippine Journal of Science im 



of Liangan, a place on Illana Bay, in Lanao Province, are greatly 

 feared becaifse they are reputed to know this art. The papa- 

 pantac prays for seven days, because the birthday of any person 

 must have been one of the seven days of the week, and during 

 these days he abstains from washing his anus and external 

 genitalia after performing an act of nature. The papapantac 

 makes a human form out of clay or tallow, or draws a human 

 figure on paper, or uses an egg or a lemon, on which are marked 

 both the earthly and heavenly names of the person whom it 

 is desired to make sick and his place of residence. The human 

 figure is placed in cold water, on the fire, exposed to the sun 

 and rain, or pricked with needle or knife, according to the 

 kind of disease on the part of the body where suffering is 

 desired. A tail of buri is attached to the egg or lemon, and 

 after the seven days of prayer, the egg or lemon is inclosed in 

 a box and allowed to fly to the person to whom injury is desired. 

 To counteract the influence of the papapantac or to avoid 

 other kinds of evil, the Moros place under the mattress of their 

 beds a goat skin with various colors and offer a prayer, tindig, 

 before going and before leaving the bed. 



PROGNOSIS OF THE DISEASE 



When a person is sick, the probable outcome is found by 

 opening the Koran and determining the hour, day, month, and 

 tide in which the disease began. 



The opening of the Koran is done by the highest ranking 

 pandita (priest) or hadji (person who has been in Mecca) 

 around. Prayer is made, asking Giod that light be given on the 

 disease in question, the Koran is opened with the eyes closed, 

 and the first consonant letter of the seventh line of the page 

 to the right is noted. This letter is called aual. Then seven 

 sheets of the Koran are counted to the left, beginning with the 

 sheet next to the page where the aual was noted, and the first 

 consonant letter of the seventh line of the page to the right 

 (left face of the seventh sheet) is also noted. This letter is 

 called agir. 



Every consonant letter in the alphabet has a meaning with 

 regard to sickness and other conditions or enterprises. The 

 following is the list of the letters with their significance in regard 

 to sickness, according to Saika Datu-sa-Calaiiganan.^ 



" The Arabic characters and their names and equivalents are as fur- 

 nished by the author of this paper. — The Editors. 



