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Show FEAR "TABOO" IS CONTAGIOUS So Eddystona Islanders Ascribe Their Ills to the Charm How "Cure" Is Made. Many interesting facts with regard to the practice of leechcraft and sorcery, sor-cery, the Imposition and removal of taboo, and the belief In the infliction and cure of disease by rites among the natives of Melanesia were related recently by Dr. W. H. R. Rivers in the second Fitzpatrick lecture on "Medicine, "Medi-cine, Magic and Religion" at the Royal College of Physicians, Bays the London Lon-don Times. In Eddystone islands, where Doctor Rivers spent several months some years ago, nearly every disease is ascribed to the infraction of a taboo on the fruit of certain trees, especially espe-cially the cocoanut and betel vine, the taboo as well as the sign by which, it is known being called kenjo. When anyone suffers from epilepsy or other convulsive seizure which is recognized as kirengge he and his friends consult one known to have the power of imposing the kenjo kirengge. kir-engge. This man visits the patient and strokes him from the head downwards with four leaves called, tnyou, some moss, soot, and scrapings scrap-ings of wood, uttering the formuula: "Stroke away. Stroke down and away. Cease thou. Let the man live; do not return. They have given me a good ring." The last clause of this formula and two in that used in removing the taboo refer to the fee, the chief money of the island consist-ine consist-ine of arm rings. |