Report of the Commission appointed to Inquire into the Decrease of the Native Population, with appendices.
- Fiji. Commission appointed to Inquire into the Decrease of the Native Population.
- Date:
- 1896
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of the Commission appointed to Inquire into the Decrease of the Native Population, with appendices. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
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![PARA. ABUSE OF YAQONA AND TOBACCO {continued)— Minute by the Commission {continued) — yaqona {continued) — chiefly affects the motor nerves ... ... ... 310 effects of drinking 310, 311, 312 consiun]3tion, which is limited only by the supj^ly, is increasing ... ... ... ... ... 313 action of Wesleyan missionaries in discouraging use of ... ... ... ... ... ... 313 custom of drinking should be discouraged but not prohibited... ... ... ... ... ... 314 native regulation woiild be sufficient restraint if properly administered ... ... ... ... 314 tobacco— universal use of ... . . ... ... ... 315 effect of smoking on milk of sviekling-motliers ... 316 smoking by men should not be interfered with, but women should be restrained from smoking during lactation, and it should be forbidden to boys and girls under seventeen ... ... ... 318 habit of chewing ... ... ... ... ... 318 Conclusions— habitual indulgence in yaqona-Arinkmg is dele- terious, but is beyond the power of the people as a whole ... ... ... ... ... ... 319 people occasionally give themselves over to bouts of j/«go»a-drinking ... ... ... ... ... 319 habit of yaqona-i\.-rivik.mg is injurious to mothers and infants ... .. ... ... ... ... 319 tobacco-smoking is hurtful only to young children and suckling-mothers ... ... ... ... 319 remedies proposed— native regulation concerning yaqona should be enforced and a further regulation enacted for- bidding use of tobacco by boys and girls and by women when suckling children ... ... ... 319 regulations to be rendered effective by appoint- ment of European officers ... ... ... 319 recapitulation and summary of conclusions ...V04-9 LACK OF DISCIPLINE— Opinions of the Correspondents— want of proper training produces precocity and depravity among yoimg people ... ... ... 320 stricter system of education recommended ... ... 321 Minute hy the Commission— lack of training and control in home life ... ... 322 native education is condvicted entirely by the mis- sions ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 323 separation of sexes in schools ... ... ... ... 323 appointment of inspectors to examine schools ... 323 acquisition of the English language ... ... ... 324 suggestion that Government should publish books of amusem'ent ... ... ... ... ... 325 encouragement of games ... ... ... ... 326 Conclusions— home life is not calculated to promote discipline and school life must be looked to as a means of at- taining that end ... ... ... ... ... 328 general improvement in discipline will be gradual ... 328 proposed remedies— concentration of towns will lead to improved efficiency of schools 328,593 enlisting interest of provincial officers in attend- ance of children ... ... ... ... ... 328 promotion of instruction in the English lan- guage ... ... ... ... ... ... 328 issue of small books of amusement and instruction in sanitary matters ... ... ... ... 328 encouragement of games—if practicable ... ... 328 ultimately—inspection and state aid of schools... 328 recapitulation and summary of conclusions ... 710 TREATMENT OF SICK PERSONS— dealt with under Native Medical Treatment and Nursing. IRREGULARITY OF LIVING— Opinions of the Correspondents— nocturnal dances, exposure to inclement weather, and irregularity in eating while travelling to solevus ... ... ... ... ... ... 330 better condition of labourers who are obliged to work, eat, and sleep at regular intervals ... ... 330 prohibition of night OTe^e« by law ... ... ... 330 improvement can on be attained by education .,, 330 PARA. IRREGULARITY OF LIVING (continued)— Minute by the Commission— fixed routine in daily life is unknown to primitive man ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 331 nocturnal melees by school-children should be dis- couraged ... ... ... ... ... ... 332 improvement in condition of prisoners in gaol ... 333 labour performed through medium of Native Tax System 334 remedy—strict supervision ... ... ... ... 334 recapitulation and summary of conclusions ... 711-13 OBSTACLES TO MARRIAGE— Opinions of the Correspondents— disaffection of pai'cnts and relatives ... ... ... 335 association of young men and young women in village schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 335 propei'ty for presentation ... ... ... ... 336 forced marriages ... ... ... ... ... 336 objection of women to marriage ... ... ... 337 obstacles jjlaced in way of marriage tend to illicit intercourse ... ... ... ... ... ... 338 pi'oposed remedies— removal of all difficulties in the way of marriage 339 native officials be instructed to encourage marriages 339 right of appeal to Bull when marriages ai-e opposed on trivial grounds... ... ... ... ... 339 in cases of jjrosecution for fornication parties should be allowed option of marriage ... ... 339 revival of regulation concerning Duguci ni Yalewa 339 forced marriages should be disallowed ... ... 339 prevention of girls being shut up in Roman Catholic seminaries ... ... ... ... 339 regulation providing penalty for persons harbour- ing married women who have deserted their hvisbands ... ... ... ... ... ... 339 Minute by the Commission— ancient marriage customs ... ... ... ... 340 giving of betrothal gifts {duguci) prohibited ... 340 difficulty of providing marriage gifts... ... ... 341 objections raised by relations ... ... ... ... 342 questions to be asked at Provincial and District Councils 567 recapitulation and summary of conclusions ... 714-18 PENAL LAWS AGAINST FORNICATION— fear of punishment is an incentive to procure abor- tion 343 that penalty for fornication be abolished—punish- ment being reserved for raj^e and first seduction... 344 that penalty be monetary compensation to woman's friends ... ... ... ... ... ... 344 that parties be offered option of marriage ... ... 344 immorality should be checked by moral persuasion only ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 344 more stringent application of penal laws ... ... 344 Minute by the Commission— penalty for adultery ... ... ... ... ... 345 prosecution for fornication, while useless as a deter- rent to immorality, forms an indueemeut to pro- curing abortion ... ... ... ... 346, 347 recommendation—penalty for male convicted of for- nication be altered to any term not exceeding three months ; female to be exempt from pro- secution ... ... ... ... ... 348, 615 recapitulation and summary of conclusions ... 719-27 ABORTION, FCETICIDE, AND PREVENTION OF CONCEPTION— Opinions of the Correspondents— practice is an old one ... ... ... ... ... 349 motives assigned for the practice— dislike of burden of rearing children; fear of losing attractiveness of youth after child-birth; fear of punishment for fornication, or of con- demnation by the church ... ... ... 349 although extensively practised, does not affect the decrease of population ... ... ... ... 350 increases infant mortaUty ... ... ... ... 350 means of procuring abortion are by drugs and instru- ments... ... ... ... ... ... ... 351 remedies suggested— rigorous application of the law; abolition of penalty for fornication; discouragement of custom of separating husband and wife during period of lactation ; examination by experts of drugs used ; inquests on infants' deaths ... 352 detailed report on native drugs, though it would be interesting, would not repay the necessary outlay 352](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24399401_0247.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
