PENRHYN ISLAND. 285 



lent are fevers, diarrhoeas, inflammations, dropsy, catarrhs, ophthalmia, 

 asthma, dysentery, rheumatism, scrofula, and venereal. 



These diseases, notwithstanding the absence of apparent causes, are 

 frequent among the natives; but many of them are brought on by 

 living in their grass-houses, which are by no means impervious to the 

 weather, and are consequently often wet. Another frequent cause is 

 the partial decomposition of the grasses with which they are thatched 

 on the roof and sides. In passing into them I invariably experienced 

 a smell of mustiness, and a mouldy appearance is frequently seen 

 about their mats and tapas. From the openness of the houses they 

 of course are subject to all the atmospheric changes, which must natu- 

 rally induce disease by the constant checking of perspiration, a cause 

 that is rendered still more active by their sleeping on damp ground. 



Ophthalmia is much complained of, particularly about Honolulu, 

 Lahaina, and some places on Kauai : this might be ascribed to the 

 quantity of dust that is daily put in circulation by the trade-winds, were 

 it not that the disease is equally prevalent where this cause does not 

 exist. I have heard it suggested that the prevalence of the strong 

 trade-winds, with the salt spray driven by them, may be another cause. 



Cutaneous diseases are usually caused by the want of cleanliness ; 

 for, although the natives are in the habit of bathing frequently, yet, 

 from my observations of their customs and dwellings, I cannot but 

 deem them a filthy people : the tapa and cotton clothing of both sexes 

 is worn until it is fairly in rags, and has become so dirty as to be dis- 

 gusting : they seldom if ever think of a change of raiment. Their 

 houses are shared with their domestic fowls, dogs, and pigs, and are 

 rarely free from the dirt that so many denizens must produce. One 

 sees that most filthy disease, the itch, not unfrequently affecting the 

 larger portion of the inmates of a house, and I could not help wonder- 

 ing that so little improvement had manifested itself among them, in 

 their habitations and mode of living. 



My friend, Dr. Judd, assured me, that hepatic diseases were ex- 

 tremely rare, and that this ocean seems to be peculiarly exempt from 

 all biliary diseases. The ground of this belief, is the almost total 

 absence of them on board our whaling fleet. The physicians of Hono- 

 lulu and Lahaina, where these ships often stop in large numbers, 

 assured me that they seldom heard of a case. These islands are indeed 

 little subject to these diseases, or the typhus, bilious, and yellow fevers, 

 which prevail so extensively on the continents. They are also free 

 from the measles, small-pox, &c. 



The diseases of children are frequent, but may chiefly be accounted 

 for by the want of cleanliness and attention from their parents : hence 



