Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

I SA VAGE MALA YS OF SELANGOR 103
cutaneous disorders and ulcers, but this was probably,
as with the Semang and Sakai, the result of the food
that they lived on, more especially of some of the
yams and roots. Fevers were also very prevalent at
certain seasons, but small-pox was the one disease that
they most greatly dreaded, and on the appearance of
which they would flee from the district.
Besisi.—Owing to their way of life, it was not
uncommon to meet amongst them individuals who had
been accidentally maimed or wounded, and on one
occasion, whilst driving along the Langat road at Klang,
I encountered a Jakun who had been badly lamed by
the injury and contraction of the muscles of the knee.
After considerable persuasion, I induced him to return
to Klang and enter the hospital, which was then
in charge of the late Mr. W. M. Little. Mr. Little
kindly interested himself in the case, and succeeded in
affording the man a good deal of relief; but when the
man had been a few days in hospital he returned to
the jungle, saying before he left that he could not live
in a place which was so shut in and devoid of trees.
I never knew a case of mental disease among any
of these tribes.
Jakun of Negri Sembilan.—The chief diseases are
more or less malignant kinds of skin-disease— in part
inherited, in part brought on themselves, for the
hillmen of Negri Sembilan never indulge in the
luxury of a bath.
They do not appear to possess much stamina for
resisting fever and other internal ailments. When
they had been living in the house assigned to them by
Rowland for a short time, they became dissatisfied, and
all developed a dry, painful cough, and moved about
very despondingly ; scarcely an hour passed without