18GG ] Diseases of the Karens. 27 



distant are nearly exempt, though located on the same hills, with the 

 same geological formation. Three or four days.' journey beyond this, 

 in an extensive region, where the rocks are exclusively secondary 

 limestone, goitre is again found in excess, while other villages, on the 

 same limestone range, are quite free from the disease. In neither of 

 these districts has any metallic mineral been found. Still, there must 

 be something' special in the localities where it abounds to produce it ; 

 but what that is, remains to be discovered. All that can be said of it 

 with certainty is, that it is a disease of the hills, for it is not found on 

 the plains ; nor did I ever meet with it on the hills in the Tenasserim 

 Provinces. The Karens attribute it to the soil, and say that the dis- 

 ease is caught by eating beans, pumpkins, and other vegetables raised 

 in the infected locality, and by drinking the water that runs through 

 it. Their theory has probably some foundation in fact. 



Fowls and hogs that the Karens raise, are occasionally attacked by 

 a violent disease by which they die off as if they had the cholera ; and 

 buffaloes on the plains are subject to a like complaint. 



"Worms. 

 Entozoa are very abundant. The round worm, ascaris lumbricoides, 

 is often vomited up by Karens, both children and adults. The com- 

 mon tape worm, taenia solum, is a common inhabitant of the bowels, as 

 are also thread worms, ascaris vermicular is. 



Death. 



When an elder among the Bghais, with a large number of descend- 

 ants, dies, the people build a place in the hall for the deposit of the 

 corpse, and they hew a coffin out of the body of a tree, and hew a 

 cover for it, like the Chinese coffins. 



The body lies in state three or four days, and during the time men 

 blow pipes, and the young men and maidens march round the corpse 

 to the music. At night, the piping is discontinued, and singing is 

 substituted. 



When the piping and marching is not going forward, the exercises 

 are diversified by weeping and mourning ; or by the men knocking 

 pestles together, and others showing their dexterity by putting their 

 hands or heads in between, and withdrawing them quickly before the 

 missiles come together again, 



