MURRUMBIDGEE, LOWER LACHLAN, AND LOWER DARLING. 31 
mostly worn out by drudgery and disease together before they 
are well past their teens. Unless in the cases of old worn-out 
women, or bed-ridden subjects of long standing, who are 
the very slightest attention, the sick are attended carefully enough. 
Not being subject to infectious diseases, those attending the sick 
have not the least fear of contracting the illness from a patient 
during their ministrations ; in fact, they are quite ignorant of the 
nature of infection, and are not aware that disease can be con- 
tracted by coming into contact with or breathing the same air 
even as patients suffering from ailments do. 
Phlebotomy is practised to a very considerable extent for many 
of their ailments; it is performed upon the cupping principle 
merely, their surgical, knowledge being too limited to allow of 
their understanding the efficacy of opening one of the larger veins. 
When blood-letting is desirable, their cupping operation is effecte 
in the following manner :—The part from which they wish to draw 
the blood is scarified pretty deeply by means of a sharpen 
mussel shell; when this has been done sufficiently well, the 
operator sucks the wound with his mouth, spitting out the blood 
from time to time, until he feels satisfied that sufficient has 
dug to a depth of about 18 inches; it is then filled with fire- 
wood to the top and ignited, when the wood is all consume 
th ace in great globules, and the hair becomes quite wet from 
e same cause, a female attendant is seated by the side of the 
