66 A NATUBALI8T IN CELEBES ch. iv 



for some years. The wives of these two mandurs were 

 my most constant visitors, and would often spend the 

 greater part of the day chatting with my boys and super- 

 intending the cooking. 



I soon acquired the reputation of being a medicine-man, 

 and my small medicine chest was a valuable aid to me 

 in establishing friendly relations with these simple-minded 

 people. 



Their complaints were usually fevers, diarrhoea, boils, 

 and ulcers, all of which I could treat with considerable 

 success ; but a very prevalent disease of the eye, consisting 

 of a clouding of the cornea, was beyond my skill. The 

 Sangirese men were very often afflicted with a form of 

 ichthyosis, and were constantly scratching themselves like 

 monkeys, but they never sought relief for it nor seemed to 

 consider it anything but natural. 



I never saw any cases of measles or scarlet-fever, small- 

 pox, or of any other zymotic disease, nor any traces of 

 syphilis acquired or inherited. Such complaints, however, 

 do, I believe, occur. The natives have a great many medi- 

 cines of their own, obtained by the infusion and decoction 

 of various herbs and fruits, and many of the Europeans 

 who have been a long time in the country, and the half- 

 castes are firmly persuaded that they are much more effective 

 than the drugs of our European pharmacopoeias ; but as the 

 native doctors are able to extract live lizards, nails, and all 

 sorts of things out of a patient's head when he is afflicted 

 with a headache, I should not feel disposed to place too 

 much reliance on their efficacy. 



A thorough and systematic study, however, of native 

 medicines might lead to some valuable results. 



The natives have but little idea of some of the simplest 

 laws of sanitation, and allow themselves to get extremely 

 ill before they seek for assistance. It is wonderful, some- 



