The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-08-07
STRANGE PRACTICES.
MEDICINE MEN AMONG THE INDIANS
OF PARA, BRAZIL
Working Under the Influence Of Invisi-
BILE Heaters How q medicine Man
Operates-Ths VARIOUS Proscrip-
tions-Other Ceremonies.
lHarper's Bazar.l

In Belen del gran Para, among the most
ignorant OF the natives, there are medicine
men and women who frequently make very
successful cures by mysterious means. saw
ing patients that have been pronounced In
durable by other physicians and such cases
become WILDLY known. These medicine
men say they work by order Of spirits OF the
fire and spirit, from the bottom Of tho deep;
those who claim the hcip Of the fire spirits
are said to cure best Each Of these peculiar
doctors Is supposed to be influenced by
tribe Of unseen beings subordinate to q
superior, who takes charge Of tho most
difficult cases. and whose opinion IL
highly respected. The invisible healsrs are
said TO be ghosts of people who belonged to
the most ignorant classes Of humanity
black slaves. white roughs, savage In
dians, cruel pirates, etc, and each answers
to some particular name. Besides his fxed
number Of assistant spectsrs in whom the
medicine man has unbounded confidence,
others occasionally attend, II permitted by
the chief ghost, that the man pretends to
hear, see and touch when alone, and without
which permission he dares not hold inter
course with inferior spirits.
The men say chat they themselves know
nothing Of disease or Incidence, but that
after while they are not able to free them
selves from tho authority Of the invisibles who
impose upon them tho mission Of always
curing, at least with only intervals Of few
days, and II they do not comply, the master
Furnishes them, even corporally; but on the
other hand, when they work faithfully and
well. the master Is complaisant and takes
particular care to cure those dear 10 tho
medicine man. The moro moral the doctor,
the more certain the cure. they say; for
those who have acquired bad habits are In
fuenced by evil spirits that, far from bens-
fitting, harm the patient Upon such all
look with horror. and condemn shem as
wizards.
The police Of Para pursue these medicins
men amt women relentlossly, but the
lower classes Of society tacitiy protect
them, and Will never point out the places
where they hold their meetings The nsdi-
cue man appoints certain day for ps-
tisns, who desire to consult him. with their
families, and any who have obtained per.
mission to be present, so at nighr-fall-ons
or two at tins, not to attract attention.
to some house in an unfrequentsd spot
where they may not be surprised by tina
police or annoyed by persons outside.
About 0 o'clock the visitors, never less than
fifteen or twenty, must be gathered at the
place indicated. They are recommended to
be very circumspect to have muod faith In
all they see and hear, and TO sing with each
spirit certain verses that correspond to
them. The dooss are we'll closed and NO
one can go out till the meeting adtourns,
except with the rnastsr's permission. Some
times they are closeted till early dawn.
The medicine man first occupies himself
for about all hour In slowly making ten or
twelve cigars. very thick and nine inches
long, mixing with the tobacco q small
quantity OF puivsrizei incense, and wrap
ping it in very thin bark that they use in
stead Of paper There are two bottles Of
arewater on hand for the libations Of @ths
spirits" and small hollow globe made OF
wood with holes in It.; inside are stones to
RATTLE This primitive kind Of sistrum Is
secured to handle, and the medicine man
uses it TO call the master Of the spirits; thay
say that he gave 1t to them for that Purpose,
as we'll as another instru ument made Of
buzzarI featherL After various prepare-
tious the doctor diminisbes the light rs
much as possible without extingulshing it,
lights one Of the big Gig ars, concentrates his
thoughts and begins to smoke calmly.
From time to time he introd ucss the lighted
end of the cigar in his mouth, and absorbs
a quantity of smoke; he also takes one Of
the instruments mentioned, AMI sounds 1t
rapidly close to his ears With his mouth
he fumigates his arms and hands In tha
form Of a cross until, compelled by the rep
etition Of these operations, he closes his eyes
and seems to be in a somnambalistic stats.
Half tottering, he rises and passes his
hands several times over his forehead, then.
with his arms uplifted, goes to the nearest
wall, and strikes it hard with the palms Of
his hands, and recedes few steps, always
unsteady, repeating the operation two or
three times. At last able to stand arm, he
turns toward the company, and says, Good
evening"" His movements are free; his
features. language, way OF walking, all his
actions. polite or rude. take tho character Of
the individual supposed to possess lin.
Those present never address the doctor by
his name, but that Of the one laid to con-
troll him, and by his manners AMI language
known to some among them. They answer
his greeting with amiability, and try TO
please him by all the means in their power,
Offering him rum or some good thing they
have prepared for him. beg him to sing, and
II he does, join In with him. and respond to
the toasos he deigns to drink to some Of those
pr sent Afterward by invitation or volun-
tarily, no attentively examines the patients,
gently touching the affected parts, and ask
ing questions concerning the malady. He
fumigates the seat Of tho disease, makes
passes over the individual with one Of the
small musical instruments, and lastly pre-
scribes. .. W. ... ..
When hs has finished attending TO patients
he takes more fire. water and says good bye,
then goes to the wall a. before, strikes it
with his open palms, and seems greatly
exhausted. After . few minutes rest
he again approaches the wall as al
ready described, and soon In said TO be un-
der control of another, who, with very little
difference, repeats what the first did; thus
one succeeds another throughout the night
Some only attend to two or three patients,
others to many. and the master to tho most
serious cases. They sometimes approve the
prescriptions of those who have preceded
them. but may prescribe other remedies;
then the master decides which shall be used.
Tho medicamsnts ordered are herbs, barks,
roots. and, In few oases, purgativss from
the drug store, to be used exactly as d.
rscted. When blesding-in the arms or feet
lis prescribed, tho doctor undertakes to
bleed them at once. or at the next meeting,
or In the home of the patient, using O piece
of glass tied to small stick.
work completely naked above the waist
Some prepare for work In complete dark
ness. requesting those present 10 light up the
room an soon as they arc influenced by the
nrst spirit. Others keep the room In obscur.
lty during the first part Of the night and
light the other hall.
It IL o remarkable fact that In Yucatan,
also, the Indians hide themselves ut night,
and perform ceremonies similar TO those
hat take place In Brazil