The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-11-24
REMEDIES OF REDSKINS.

Ambniance, surgery. Fomeatatioas and
steam Baths - Small knowledge of
Herbs.
If, in the depths of the forest, an In.
dian breaks his leg or arm (said Dr.
Kingston in his address at the British
Medical association meeting at Noting
ham), splints of softest material are at
once improvised. Straight branches are
cut, of uniform length and thickness
These are lined with downlike moss or
scrapings or shavings of wood, or with
fine twigs interlaid with leaves, if in
SIMMER. or with the curled-up leaves
Of the evergreen cedar or hemlock If in
winter. and the whole is surrounded
with withes of willow, or osicr, or
young birch. Occasionally it is the soft
but sufficiently unyielding bark of the
poplar or the bass wood. Sometimes,
when near the marshy margia of our
lakes or rivers, the wounded limb is af-
forded support with wild hay or reeds
OF uniform length and thickness.
To cary patient to his wigwam or
to an encampment a stretcher is quick
ly made Of four young sap!ings inter
woven at their upper ends, and on this
elastic, springy couch the injured man
is borne away by his companions.
When there are but two persons and an
accident happens to one Of them, two
young trees of birch or beech or hickory
are used Their tops are allowed to re
main to aid in diminishing the jolting
caused by the inequ alities Of the ground.
No lscndon carriage maker ever con-
stractcd spring which could better ac-
complish the purpose A couple of
crossbars preserve the saplings in posi-
ton, and the bark OF the elm or birch
cut into broad bands and Joined to
either side forms an even bed. In this
way an injured man is brought by his
companion to a settlement, and often it
has been found on arrival that the frac-
tured bones arc firmly united and the
limb is whole again. This is effected
in less time than with the whites, for
the reparative power of these children
OF the forest is remarkable. In their
psentitaae of health, osseoas matter is
poured out in large quantity and firm
union is soon effected.
The reparative power Of the aborig-
ines when injured is eqaaled by the
wonderful stoicism with which they
bear njories and infictupon themselves
the severest torture. They are accus-
toned TO cut into assesses with pointed
flint; they light up fire at distance
from the affected part (our counter
irritation); they amputate limbs with
their hunting knives, checking the hem
or'rhage with heated stones, as surgeons
were accustomed to do in Europe in the
time of AMBROSE Pare, and sometimes
they amputate their own limbs with
more sang froid than many young sur
geons will display when operating on
others The stamps Of limbs amputatea
in this primitive manner are well
Formed, for aeatness is the character
istic OF all tho Indiaa' handiwork
The aborigines are familiar with and
practice extensively the use of warm
Concentrations. In every tribe their old
women are credited with the possession
of a knowledge of local bathing with
hot water and of medicated decoctions
The heros they use are kaown to priv
ileged few and enhance the considera-
ton in which their possessors are held.
The Turkish bath, in a simpler but
not less effective form, is we'll known
to them IL one of their tribe suffers
from fever or from the effects of long
exposure to cold steam bath is readily
improvised. The tent of dee skin is
tightly closed the patient is placed in
one corner, heated stones are placed
near him, and on these water is poured
until the confined air is saturated va.,or.
Any degree of heat and any degree of
moisture can be obtained in this way.
Europeans often avail themselves of
this powerful sudatory when suffering
from rheumatism
The aborigines have their herbs-a
few, n = many They have their emetics
and laxatives, astringents and emol-
lients--al of which are proffered to the
suffering without fee or reward. The
Indian teas, Indian balsans" and
other ln9ian ''care-alls"- virtue of
which it sometimes takes columns of
the daily Journals TO chroaicle-'are not
theirs To the white man is left this
species of deception. Chicago Times.