The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-08
SMASH DOCTORS.
Their Remarkable Treatment Of Patients in
Alaska.
IPlttsburg Dispatch letter.

The "Siwash" doctor of the coast Is an aw.
fully mysterious parsonage. His first steps
In the act OF healing, according to the tradi-
lions Of his tribe, are taken at an extremely
early day in his career. Should child be
born with curly hair, a strabismical eye, on
distorted limbs, no ID accepted as a healer Of
coming generations, and all his early train
ing Is carefully conducted with a view to in
creasing his supernatural powers and control
over the spirits OF the air. His food is care
fully selected, and many articles OF every day
use among the common herd are CAREFUL y
excluded from his bill Of fair. He is put il
training Tor doctor from his infancy, and
great Things are expected of him when fully
developed and endowed with his degree
The doctor seldom washes his person, and
never cuts his hair, which grows long and
bushy in masses, knotted by want OF comb
Ing, and entanged with burrs and general
rubbish such as ilOatS III 5und an Indian ell
campment. He adorns his scanty raiment
with eagles down, and altogether presents u
weird, not to say untidy, appearance. .
La cases OF serious illness among members
OF the tribe, the Plains Medicine Man will ad-
minister sparingly some puveriZed herbs and
teas in considerable drafts, but the Siwash
doctor OF the northwest coast scorns all sub
lunary aids, powders or lotions. When an In
dian is very sick the Siwash doctor proceeds
slowly at first to agitate bis attendant spirit,
which is called ..Yake," and by extraordi-
nary contOrtions and severe gymnastic exer-
caeS succeeds In the course OF half al hour, In
working himself up in perfect paroxysm Of
clairyoyancy, throwing off his garments as
he progresses, I'LL finally he Stands arrayed in
a LYDIA Thompson skirt about his iOins, but
is otherwise clothed ia foam and perspiratiOn.
Then he IL ready for business.
He now makes ''phSseS,' as the gentlemen
of the +. r. would call them, toward the body
of the patient, inhaiiDg powerfully through
his teeth, producing some such sound as is
heard in dental shops when laughing gas is
being administered. Having sucked the dis
ease out of the form of the sick man, the doc
tor blows it out Of the opening where smoke
from the fire finds its exit. OF course the pa
tient il now in fair way to recovery. But In
case of the patient not evincing any signs OF
the doctor finds that the con
dtioLs are not favorable" owing to the IN
tluence Of come witch, which has evoked an
evil s pifit TO operate against the recovery. In
such u case it becomes the doctors first duty
to point out the witch, VINO Is stripped bound
AMI subjected to a perfect pufitaulcal course
ot torture, with view Of forcing confession.
The rack, the scourge and starvation finally
have the desired effect, and the witch acknowl-
edges nything the doctor demands. This is
gratifying, ana is considered one Of the great
est triumphS OF the healing art, but should
the confession be made too late 10 effect the
desii cd cure, the witch may be killed, and
sacrificed Gu general principles.
Even though the patient dle5 under these cir
cumstances it is still a triumph for the doc
tor, as killing the witch is as good proof Of
witchcraft Iii Alaska to-day as 1T was In New
England two hundred wears ago.