Show FEAR TABOO IS contagious so bo eddystone islanders ascribe their ills to the charm how cure la Is made many I 1 interesting facts with regard to the practice of leeche raft and sorcery the imposition and removal of taboo and the belief in the infliction and cure of disease by rites among tho the natives of melanesia were related recently by dr W 11 it rivers in the tha second fitzpatrick lecture on medicine magic and religion at the royal college of physicians says the lon don times in eddystone islands where doctor rivers spent several months some som years ago nearly every disease Is IB ascribed to the infraction of a taboo on the fruit of certain trees especially the cocoanut coco anut and betel vl netha netho taboo as well as the sign by which it Is known being called kenjo when af anyone iyone suffers from epi epilepsy lopsy or other convulsive seizure which la isk lecog recognized nihed as kiren gge he and hla his friends consult one known to havo have the power ot of imposing the kenjo kir this man visits the patient and strokes him from the head downwards with four leaves called ayou some moss soot boot and scrapings otwood of wood uttering 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 the last clause of this formula and two in that used irk in removing the taboo refer to the fee the chief money of the island consist ine ol of arm rines |