THROUGH HAWAII. 
333 
unaccompanied by some superstitious ceremony. The 
knowledge of the art is frequently communicated from 
father to son, and thus continued in one family. In 
their practice they have different departments, and those 
who are successful in removing internal complaints are 
most esteemed. Febrile disorders are not so prevalent 
as in many tropical climates, but asthmatic and pulmo¬ 
nary affections are frequent, and the latter generally 
baffle all their skill. We are not aware that they admit 
into their materia medica any but vegetable substances, 
which are variously prepared; sometimes baked, or 
heated in a cocoa-nut shell, but often applied after being 
simply bruised with a stone. In the selection and 
employment of these, they certainly manifest an ac¬ 
quaintance with the medicinal properties of a number 
of indigenous herbs and roots, which is commendable, 
and may hereafter be turned to a good account. Several 
of their applications, simply as they are prepared, are, 
however, very powerful, and sometimes fatal in their 
effects. They had till lately no means of employing a 
warm bath, but frequently steamed their patients on an 
oven of heated stones, or placed them over the smoke of 
a fire covered with green succulent herbs. They have 
also a singular method of employing friction by rolling a 
stone or cannon shot over the part in pain. I went one 
day into a house belonging to Karaimoku, where a chief 
was lying on his face, and the kahuna, or his attendant, 
was rolling a cannon shot of twelve or fourteen pounds 
weight backwards and forwards along his back, in order 
to alleviate the pain. There were also among them 
oculists, who were celebrated for curing diseases of 
the eye, and who were sometimes sent for by persons 
residing many miles distant. But in surgery they seem 
