SURGICAL SKILL,

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CHAPTER XXL

Introductory observations on the state of the healing art illthese islands—Their surgical knowledge borrowed fromthe Fiji islands—Medical skill of a Sandwich islander—The operation of cauiso, with a case described; regimen ;precautions against tetanus—Two cases of tetanus curedby the operation of tocolosi —Operation of boca, or castra-tion : a man castrates himself—Fractures and luxations—Topical bloodletting—Opening abscesses—Burning andblistering—Friction—Scarification of the tunica adnata—Gun-shot wounds—Amputation—Circumcision— Ta tat-tovo at the Tonga islands ; at the Fiji islands—Thediseases called cuhi and palla —Gonorrhoea—Observationsrespecting the existence of syphilis at these islands—Go-norrhoea cured by fright in three individuals— Tona, adisease similar to the yaws—An eruption on the feet calledgnoivooa — Fooa, or elephantiasis— Momoco, or generalwasting of the flesh— Feke-Jeke, a species of irregular in-termittent.

Having, in the three preceding chapters,given an account of the state of religion andmorals in these islands, we shall now proceedto develope the next most important featurein the description of human habits, and shalltherefore endeavour to set forth the state ofuseful knowledge to which they have arrived.In the first place, we shall treat of the healingart; not only because it stands prominent in