PRIMITIVE MEDICINE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 164, 14 July 1933, Page 2

PRIMITIVE MEDICINE

RELIGION AND MAGIC OLD MAORI REMEDIES. Medicine among savages was the subject of a lecture delivered by Air. Kenneth Mackenzie in the University College Hall at Auckland this week, under the auspices of the Auckland Institute. Aluch in modern life could be explained by the study of tho beliefs and customs of primitive peoples, both ancient ami extant, said the lecturer. In considering sickness, injury and the savage failed to link up cause and effect, but jumped to conclusions or, like many people to-day, he used the “post hoc, propter hoc,” method of reasoning. In other words, ho argued that if one event followed another in time, tho first event was tho cause of the second. ' Tho .scientific method of observing a large number of cases, together with “controls,” and building up a hypothesis from the observations, was unknown to him. {Study had shown that there was an essential unity in folk lore at all times and in all places, and that its underlying principles were always the same. Disease and death, like other misfortunes, were never regarded as occurring naturally, but. were attributed to offended gods or spirits, or to witchcraft exorcised by a human being. There was therefore a close association between medicine and religion and the functions of priest and physician were often performed by tho same person. Tho priest, would bo called upon to find out what supernatural powers the patient had offended or who was be witching him, and to take countermeasures. The force of suggestion was very great, and there were many authenticated cases of savages who had died from no ascertainable physical cause after convincing themselves that they had mortally offended the unseen powers. I,’riniil ive peoples made mm h use of medicine and surgery, hut always in association with r. ligion and magic. Their medicines were chiefly herbs, and such potent agents as quinine, cocaine and opium had been known from very early times. In New Zealand tutu was about the only native plant of any potency, hut the Al noris used many decoctions of leaves, bark and roots. War wounds ami fracture,; naturally led to the practice of surgery. Barks containing tannin, such as those of rata and tawa, were used by tho Alaoris to staunch wounds, and tlax gum and the flower of toctoo for dressings. Some other Polynesian peoples were skilful in removing broken weapons from W ounils. The trephining of skulls had been

carried out even in prehistoric times, ?spocially in Peru. Many recovered ! pc'cimens had holes, around tho edges )f which was a growth of bone, showng that the patient had survived the iperation, possibly for years. Air. Alackenzio displayed a skull from New Britain containing a holo of this lature. The former missionary who jave it to him, ho said, had witnessed nany such operations, mainly for the reatment of injuries in battle.