Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-28

lpf. u. Alcie SlOc we II IN INDEPENDENT
There is II widespread belief, by no means
cjrtlned TO the vulgar, that the Indian is
preieina'urally wise in all that pertains to
the surgical and leaing art; that he Is en-
dowtd with inherent knowledge whereby he
+, cognizes the virtue and remedial value of
Every native plant, tree or shrub while his
Anatomical and physiological relations, ex-
cccds the development of centuries of
scientific research. The real miracle, how
ever, is how so utterly silly and absurd an
idea ever gained credcnCe, or how ii to-day
secures supporters by the clergy and mem
hers of the lar, even those who delight to
display the ID. d., LII. D., Pm. D., etc,
since !here is not the slightest foundation
therefor, either in analogy or fact. The
savage recognizes no influences even in the
most common and simplest affairs in life
that ore no, the direct product of the super
natural. lie has no conception of the rcla-
tons of cause and effect physiological AMI
pathological conditions and applications are
beyond the utmost scope Of his reasoning /,
and when he does cs)rt to the use Of drugs
herbal or mineral, which Is but rarely, it is
moi with view of obtaining any remedial
action, but solely for their supposed
influence, propitiatory or obnoxious as the
case may be, upon the spirit or spirits whose
presence is the embodiment of the disorder.
The medicine man even is ignorant of any
virtue IN drugs beyond these, except perhaps
as lie may be Influenced by ciNih4cd a-s1cia.
tons; and the world is indebted for lis
primary Knowledge of indigenous gro v,hs
not TO the savage, but TO the accidental
empirical experiments of his white associates,
more particularly the Jesuit mission
aries, all OF whom possess more or less OF
botanical education along with smaliering
of therapeutics. 1t is from them the Indian
ha- derived, aud not to whom he has I'M
parted, the little that can he placed TO his
credit.
/. The Indian doctor" who perambun.es
Our cities aud Villages, preyng upon the
slp.rstiIious OF civilization, is seldom or
never m,dicinc man. but some shrewd,
half civilized knave, who has taken leaf
out OF the white mans book in an attempt TO
replrnish his pockets. by an assumption
of dignity entirely foreign TO Ills real char
acter, by impcrturbab!e ways prcteiaturally
wise and stoicl looks, and stern brcviy
If speech, the reasons for which are obvious,
h. fools his crcdulous white admirers to the
top Of their bent lie is always u drunken
scounirt and one VIII, at h-me ST cures
nothiug but the scorn and contempt Of his
race, not one Of whom would accept the
dog-wood bittots, tag-aldrr 'oas, prickly-
ash stems, cow.bcrry bark ,!ccoctlvns, sumlc
missions, mandrake physic and other
nauscnus G0mpIunds with which lie drcn, hes
his white dur;r
Extensive knowledge OF Indian ''modi-
cinc" and acquaintance with savage
t,p ,,1a it,n pNlit ,IN,I tn s.ul
in these matters; ad
snlomnly affirm t.. my. readers that medicine
and surgery, as understood IN u,ii.. III -oni-
muniiics, are almost wholly unknown. Were
to relate the b.rbaritics practiccd for the
healing even IF The simples. wounds, the
hrualities enacted by y e,iup,c arrowhead
nuucture, the crueiies and Filthy anu dis
gGsting ohservances that prevail in the most
ordinary Cf everyday matters where the
hrali; ant is demanded, they vGuid scarce
BE- oreGitoi. consequently in my narratlons
| VIII W .u,ced 10 roptinc myself to the
curious and sup, rstitious. Scaificalion
llHckirg the limbs and the entire body with
knives), the actual cauteiy burning with
ed-hOt irons or s,ones), and the hot yapor
tstcam) bath are among the simplest of sur
gicul operations for the most eXtravagant
ideas prevail regarding the most lriiiing
disabilities. Think, for instance, OF the
"iaucrent native skill'' that caused all the
soft paris Vi m-n's throat to be torn out
piecene, 10y pai, oi bllle, na'ds in the
hands of medicine man simply tLcau9c Of
IL slight backlog cough arising from an
elongated uvula AVID relaxed palate, The
object in view not only to drive away the
spirit, which had been done by corjur ,tion,
but 10 so mul'iate The parts That it would
find no lurking place on It's returs. Little
W ndcr it caused the poor fellows death
But the friends had the satisfaction of know
lng he died in cable hands and according to
the ''nghest principle of (savagc) medical
art"