The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-06-19

hsa. placed beside him, eroaned,
70. ais breast, crept backward and
rf~afd On his hands and feet took up
SOME dust from the grodnd, rubbed il
IN his hands, made various intricate
gestures and then pretended to vomit
water which all the while had been
IN his mouth, upon the hearth. Again
ne hlled his mouth, after going
through an even more elaborate per.
Torrance, parted the hair upon the
head OF the patient, blew the water in
small quantities upon the scalp, breast
and other parts of his body, This was
repeated several times. He then ap-
piled his mouth, previously filled with
water, to the sick mans head, and
with groans seemed to be endeavor-
Ing with all his might to suck some
thing from it. When this had
continued some minutes, all at once
he started back, and, approaching
the hearth, squirted the mouthful of
water upon 1t, as if drawn from the in
valid's head. The same operation was
repeated on different parts of the body.
He then took up some of the ashes
emptied from the pipe, rubbed them in
his hands, and blew them upon the
patients head, breast, and wherever
the suction had been tried. After all
this nonsense, he took a minute quanti-
ty OF dark powder from his medicine
bag, sprinkled it on the burns and de-
parted. During this performance the
other doctor was busily shaking his
rattle, parading his medicine-bag and
dancing with great violence over the
sufferer, the occupants of the lodge
looking on in profound attention and
awe.
These absurdities were repeated
twice a day Sc long as the unfortunate
man lived. The night he died, four
days after he received the injuries,
when he was actually in articulo mortis,
the doctors were sent for, and with re-
doubled fury began their elaborate
parade of juggling, and by the noise
and confusion, to all appearances, ex-
pedited dissolution. This will serve as
a fair specimen of their therapeutic
treatment.
In case of ordinary disease, suction
and other applications are directed
upon the part of the patients body in
which the disturbing spirit is supposed
to be located-usually where the most
pain is felt. Sometimes violent friction,
pressure or a sort of kneading of the
ailing parts is tried. Generally they
attempt to Brighten away the disturb
ing spirit by noises, as muttering, yell
ling, barking. or growing, or by
strange p%osturing, as of a wolf, a
buffalo, or bear, or by angry demon
STATIONS, as brandishing a warclub or
tomahawk, and threatening to strike
the affected part. This treatment of
disease is, of course, senseless, but to
the mass of Indians it does not ap-
pear so, and very few of them, ever
after standardization, will seek relief
in the white doctors medicines.
] have, however, frequently seen
them administer drugs Of their own
preparation. Pulverlzed bones, roots
and herbs r frequently used by them,
and they are familiar with the
cathartic qualities of some plants.
They use decoctions of artemtsta,
monarda, mentha and Salvia both
internally and as disinfectants and
In the treatment of wounds, contu-
sions and sprains, such as are Of fire.
luent occurrence, some of these medi-
,ine-men are very skillful. They do
lot practice amputation, because they
nave so little knowledge in surgery.
There is the strongest kind of preju-
lice against the loss of a limb, death
icing usually preferred. They often
let broken bones quite skillfully, and
asses are within the writer's knowl-
'dge, where Indian doctors restored
,adly wounded men to health, after
hey had been given up as hopeless by
he agency doctor.
The charges made for treatment de-
END somewhat npon the issue, which
GEMS to be a very sensible and prac-
ical way of doing business. Some
ines the charges are quite exorbitant,
in the aggregate to several
onies. * Colonel Guido Nges, in Chi
1go Graphic News.
RAPID TRANSIT.