By Nicholas Mark, MD During the 1940s, many Melanesian cultures were profoundly altered as the Second World War was waged in the Pacific around them. Western soldiers constructed airstrips out of the jungles and the natives witnessed vast wealth in the form of manufactured goods literally rain down from the skies on parachutes or carried by aircraft. This cargo - corned beef and other canned food, clothing, medicine, tents, jeeps, etc - was shared by the soldiers and was transformative for these indigenous cultures. After the war, these island bases were abandoned and the flow of cargo ceased. To fill the vacuum,