220 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
Tumours of various kinds prevail, and a disease resem¬ 
bling what is termed the white swelling, is also occasionally 
seen, as well as more frequent instances of the elephan¬ 
tiasis, lehihe tongotra. Instances of deafness or dumbness 
rarely occur, though numbers suffer from diseases of the 
eyes, and not a few are totally blind. This calamity is 
supposed in many instances to occur from the winding of 
silk. The toothache is not uncommon, while ulcers, 
boiboik , and many of the scrofulous and cutaneous 
diseases, are general, and frequently exhaust the patience 
and baffle the skill of native and European doctors. The 
general neglect of cleanliness perpetuates many diseases of 
this class. Common catarrh and cough often prevail to a 
great extent; and though the hooping-cough is not known, 
a disease resembling the measles, designated kitrotro , pro¬ 
duces great ravages when it makes its appearance among 
children. Few instances of insanity have been known in 
the island, though several cases of idiotism have been met 
with. Syphilitic affections are almost universal, and many 
are afflicted with them from their birth to the end of their 
lives; while few of the inhabitants, either infant or adult, 
appear exempt from the sufferings produced by worms. 
Scarcely any cripples are to be seen in the island, and 
there is reason to fear that infants exhibiting any deformity 
or obvious defect at birth are secretly destroyed. 
It has been already stated, that the Malagasy are almost 
entirely unacquainted with the practice of medicine or 
surgery ; and as far as enlightened or scientific views of the 
one or the other are concerned, the healing art may be said 
to be unknown. 
There are, nevertheless, a number of simple remedies, 
to which they are accustomed to resort in seasons of sick¬ 
ness or casualty, frequently with the most favourable 
