128 
HORN EXPEDITION—ANTHROPOLOGY. 
istically disagreeable facial aspects due to the destruction of the nasal septum and 
falling in of the bridge of the nose, resulting from syphilis. In other cases there 
were the usual ulcerative affections of the soft palate or loss of voice from lai’yngeal 
invasion. In Plate XII., Fig. 13—a n.aturally unprepossessing countenance—the 
effects of this disease are probably apparent. It is still a moot point whether 
these diseases existed before the advent of Europeans. I can see no reason why 
the causes, whatever their precise nature, which first gave origin to them elsewhere 
may not have also operated here endemically. The influence of Europeans has 
undoubtedly been disastrous enough, both physically and morally, to these as to 
other savage peoples ; but before we lay this particular charge at their door we 
must remember that Australia was not entirely isolated from the rest of the 
world before their advent. For many yeai's—for how long before the arilval of 
the first European explorer it is impossible to say—the northern coasts have 
been I’egularly visited by the Malays in search of trepang ; and even supposing 
the disea.ses in question not to have been of endemic origin, they might easily 
have been introduced by these traders. And, indeed, in respect of small-pox, of 
the existence of which in Australia prior to the arrival of Europeans there is some, 
if not indisputable, evidence that it was introduced in this way from the Eastern 
Archipelago. One may accept this hypothesis while fully admitting the weight of 
the evidence which traces a great subsequent epidemic to infection introduced into 
Sydney in 1789, which spread far and wide over the continent amongst the 
natives. 
On the Horn Expedition I saw no marks which could be said to be those of 
small-pox, but I have frequently seen, in more southern localities in South 
Australia, where small pox has never gained admittance from beyond sea, such 
pittings of the face as could only have been caused by variola. In a paper* on the 
aborigines of North Australia, Mr. Foelsche relates some interesting facts with 
regard to its prevalence in the Northern Territory, from which it appears that one 
epidemic at least, in compai’atively recent times, seems clearly to be traceable to a 
vi.sit of the Malay prahus. 
Various skin diseases were common, notably pityriasis, psoriasis and eczema, 
besides others in which the exterior coating of dirt, grease and ochre did not 
permit of an accurate diagnosis. On one occasion I saw a man in whom the 
upper and lower lips had entirely disappeared, leaving the gums and brilliantly 
white teeth completely exposed. The alleged cause was injury by a fire stick in 
infancy, but the condition bore the aspect of the ravages of ca7icrum oris. 
* Notes on the Aboriginees of North Australia, Pairl Foelsche. Trans. Royal Soe. of S.A., vol. v. 1881. 
