ABORS AND GALONGS. 53 



the name given by Lorraine for a shooting star or meteor. The Evening Star is called 

 Karte Pumu, the Morning Star Takar Tigbo. The Pleiades are called Karsheng lieng 

 by the Mhryongs and Tatum lieng by the Padam. Orion is called Takar Engo, and is 

 held to be the Archer, who made war with the fish. The Milky Way is called Digin diu 

 ricku, which means literally the meeting of the Pains and the cold weather. The 

 Milky Way is straight overhead in the Abor country in September. One constellation 



Gadbung 



called Gadbung Gatok °°° , applies to Orion's Belt (Abor Archer's Quiver). 



° j Gatok. 



There seems to be no name for the Great Bear, but it is sometimes referred to as 

 the " Seven Stars." The names seem general, as I have heard similar statements 

 from Madu of Riu, and men of Rotung and Rengging. 



The chief diseases of the hill-tribes are the epidemics of small- pox and dysentery 



that periodically ravage the country, goitre, tubercular 



Diseases and Cures. . 1 . 11 » 1111 . 



disease and the most hideous itch which the filthy habits 

 of the Ivlinyongs and Panggis in particular do much to encourage. Dr. Falkiner 

 informed me that enlarged spleens amongst the children, tuberculous disease in all its 

 forms, and a chronic form of conjunctivitis were common in Ledum. The Memongs 

 are far cleaner than the Pasis, Minyongs or Panggis and itch and tubercular glands 

 are not nearly so common. The Panggis were found to be even dirtier, sicklier, and 

 more degenerate than the Minyongs. The hill people are prolific and amongst the 

 Memongs in particular the remarkable number of exceedingly old people testified to 

 the good duration of life. The recent ravages of small- pox and dysentery amongst 

 the Dobangs and Minyongs more especially have reduced the population to an ap- 

 preciable extent. This latter disease has lately been ravaging the Dihang valley 

 with extreme severity. A small wild orange is believed to cure dysentery ; it is 

 exceedingly astringent. Venereal disease does not apparently exist amongst the 

 Galongs ; it is said to be local (in its rare occurrence) amongst the Abors and has 

 been introduced from the plains. Lorraine gives yet-po-pe-mo as the name of a plant 

 the leaves of which are warmed and the juice expressed on syphilitic sores and the 

 leaves applied. The cure is stated to be extremely rapid. Villages that are attacked 

 by small-pox or dysentery are systematically segregated, and the inhabitants are not 

 allowed to go beyond their own cultivation and hunting grounds. The villages nearest 

 the sick community establish quarantine by erecting barricades of bamboo and che- 

 vaux de f rise with minatory arrows pointing in the direction of the danger . The measures 

 taken to restore health that are religious in their character are to be found on p. 70 and 

 the following pages. 



Apart from propitiatory sacrifices the main treatment for illness that has been 

 noticed is a blind faith in the efficacy of apong ; this sovereign remedy is applied equally 

 to children. If a woman falls ill one method of cure is to fasten a dine round her neck 

 to act as a charm against the malevolence of Nipong. The water in which a dine has 

 been soaked is regarded as a cure for fever and may be administered to either sex. 



