I am really looking forward to the next chapter! One question. Why a treasure chest? What good is that on an island. I suppose the Villagers could wear the jewelry. Oh...another question. What is the deal with everyone being curious about the Medical cactus? Once you have discovered it's healing properties, what else is there?

A Villager visiting and studying the cactus will earn some healing skills. This is useful for getting a doctor "started" (if there isn't anyone currently sick.) A trainee doctor has a better chance of healing than someone with no skills.

I know that about the cactus...but once everyone is through being curious about the rock, ruins, boulder, etc, they all run to the cactus. Are we to make doctors out of them all? Of course I am refering to the end of the game, when all the puzzles have been completed and the population is maxed.

Maybe their equivalent of watching TV?

I try to have all my villagers with at least trainee doctor status - they then remember to eat and drink when they need to. It also helps to make sure that you have a chance of not having people get too much disease damage.
I can only check on my games at home and I work long hours and sometimes am away overnight. I have opened the game at times (before I started training them all at the various herbs/plants) to find that they were all reduced in health and having to spend the next 20 minutes nursing them back to health at the food bin. They all have other trades as well and in one game I had 2 who were masters of building, research and healing I also have several who are also masters in at least 2 or 3 of the trades.

Thanks, biddysaurus...great tip! I usually have 4-5 games going at once, just to experiment with various scenarios. I hadn't tried that yet. I didn't know we could keep them healthy. Once they "weakened" I really didn't know what to do for them. Thanks again.

It doesn't always work but at least you have a chance - especially on hard. If I am going to be away for any long length of time I check all my elders as doctors - they will still do research, build or farm if that is what they are more skilled in but they take more rests so don't seem to weaken as quickly.
Since trying this strategy I don't have many who weaken -if they lose health bar they are still healthy and it just means keeping them at the bin for a while.
If I have any kids that will turn 14 while I'm away then I check healing and when I check in next they are often trainee doctors and so I can set them to something else.
Hope this helps.