The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-09-19
PAPER READ at C IGAGO BY
DR.. ]. II. WHITNEY.
5Iodes of BuriaI and Interesting DEN
tai Facts.

Or. j. NJ. Wmtney, OF Honolulu
before the Worlds Columbian Den.
tai Congress, held at Chicago in
August, 1898. The paper of DR.,
Whitney was published in the
Dental Cosmos" at Chicago on
the 18th ultimo, it being one of five
papers selected to be read out of a
large number, and attracted much
attention and discussion at the
time. The following is the bulk of
the paper read, which, in the Cos
mos" is followed by several pages
containing the views of different
members of the dental college:
AMONG THE ANCIENT HAwAIIANs.
1.-THE most isolated place on the
globe,n that is what Prof. Alexander,
the learned historian and ethnologist,
says of the Hawaiian islands. Two
thousand miles from the Pacific coast
of America, and equally distant from
the Micronesian, Samoan, and Tahl-
tan groups, the nearest inhabited ISL
ands, and more than twice as far from
the east coast of China and Australia,
they occupy a unique position on the
map of the world.
About the year 500 of the Christian
era, a boat-load of men and women
drifted to these shores, either from the
Malay Archipelago or from one of the
southern islands, which had been pre-
viously settled by Malays. Except
short period of intercourse between
the Pacific islands in the eleventh and
twelfth centuries, these islands were
scarcely known TO the world until
their discovery by Capt. Cook about
hundred years ago. Even the slight
intercourse that may have existed dur
ing these twelve centuries must have
been among kindred races on the Ia
hitian and Marquesan islands, so that
practically this people (until within
hundred years., had not changed their
race characteristics, nor their habits
of life during the 1900 years of their
existence. Fortunately, enough of
their history and customs have been
preserved to give us a good idea of
many of their characteristics, their
food, etc. They were of medium
height, rarely reaching six feet, with
heavy strong bones, their crania large
and thick. Their employments were
tilling the sell, fishing, and warning.
Their games were hurting the spear,
riding the surf-board, boxing, wrest-
ling, and other exercises requiring
great bodily strength and courage.
The climate at the seashore averages
80 degrees, with slight variations
from day to day, and not varying
more than 80 degrees during the year,
while as one ascends the lofty noun
tains with which the country abounds
any climate may be found to one of
perpetual snow. Thus excessive heat
is never found, and vigor of body can
be maintained. In the former days
of which we have been speaking such
diseases as typhus, typhoid, malarial
and scarlet fevers, whooping-cough,
measles, humps, smallpox, syphilis,
and leprosy were unknown. Diseases
of the alimentary canal and of the |
lungs were the most prevalent trou-
bles.
Their animal food consisted mainly !
of fish, with which the sea abounds. |
Domestic fowls were common, with |
dogs and swine, both of which were |
choic articles of food. OF vegeta-
BILE foods the principal then as
now was the taro (ColOcGSiG A1l-
tiQUOruR1), which is the Hawaiian |
"staff of lite.n From it is made the
poi, an acid paste, without which a
meal is never quite satisfying. They
also had yams, sweet-potatoes, and
sugar-cane. Their common fruits
were cocoanuts, bananas, bread-fruit
when cooked resembling sweet-pota-
to-, and Ohia or mountain apple.
Their habits of eating were most ir-
regular, often neglecting to supply
with food for several days,
and then gorging themselves at any
hour of the day or night.
With the incoming of civilization
of course many of these conditions
have changed. Though poi and fish
are still the favOrite articles of food of
the native people, they have added to
these many acid and sub-acid vegeta-
bles and fruits, with meat, fine flour,
etc.
The second popularity of this peo-
pie, rendering a knowledge of their
early physical conditions possible, is
their modes of buryiDg their dead.
The most ancient and favorite of these
places of interment were in the old
lava caves, with which the island of
hawaii particularly abounds. A lava
stream flowing from some opening in
the mountain side would cool first on
the surface, leaving the still flowing
lava within to empty itself on the
country below, and thus long irreg-
ular cave of varying dimensions
would be formed. Many of these
open from mountain-sides, and Of
ten from apparently inaccessible
The ancient Hawai-
Ians were very superstitious; the
ghost of the dead was supposed to
haunt the body long after death, and
The friends of the dead anXiously
sought the most remote and inacces-
sible places for depositing their bod
les. The islands were teeming with
people, and some of these caves are
piled many feet deep with the bones
If the ancient dead. No wind nor
moisture ever reaches them, and the
oones are as perfectly preserved as in
)ur most carefully kept cabinets, after
hundreds of years since their
nterment. But the natives even now
guard the burying-places of their an
'estOrS with most Jealous care, and il