Show FEAR TABOO IS contagious so 80 eddystone islanders A ascribe ac ribe their ills 1113 to the Charm How cure Is made inny fany interesting facts with regard to the practice of leech leach craft and sorcery the imposition and removal of taboo and the belief in the infliction and curo cure of disease by rites among the tha natives of melanesia wore were related recently by dr W 11 R rivers in tha second fitzpatrick lecture on medil cine magic and religion at the royal college of physicians says bays the lou loni don times in eddystone Eddy atone islands islando whore where doctor rivers spent several months some years ago nearly every disease ls is ascribed to ill the infraction of a taboo on the fruit of certain trees especially the cocoanut coco anut and betel vine tho the taboo as well an aa the sogn by which it Is known being called kenjo when anyone suffers buffers from epilepsy or other convulsive seizure 0 which I 1 la a recognized as ho he and his bla friends consult one known to have hava the power of imposing the kenjo kir enago this man visits the patient ani and strokes him from the head bead downwards with tour four leaves called ayou some moss soot boot and scrapings of wood uttering tho the formu ula stroke away stroke down and away cease thou lot let the man live do not return they have given me a good ring thelast the last clause ot of this formula and two in that used in removing the tha taboo refer to the feel fee the chief money of tho the island co consist aalst ine inc otanm of arm olnes |