The Red Cloud chief., 1899-05-13
INDIAN POISONS.
MYSTERIOUS DECocTioNs uN-
DERSTOop BY REDSKINS.
me Kind. No Matter when Admins
tered, Takes Eject In spring Another
Causes Complete or Partial Paralysis
OF the Legs.

In their effects with the deadly mix
lures used by the conjuiers, or medi-
cine men. OF the Cree and Salteaux
tribes Of Indians. way up in the north
west region OF British Columbia" said
DR.. James Melden of Manitoba before
q small group of his friends the other
evening at the Hoffman house. He
was on a flying visit to New York, but
found time to narrate the following
tale: These tribes" he said. Give In
that vast. wild region from 700 to 1000
miles north OF Winnipeg, just on the
border OF Eskimo land. They are the
last tribes to be met with before the
Eskimos are reached. but they get
along very amicably with them, as
hunting ground demarcations are mu-
tually understood and respected. No
doubt the extreme rigor of the ell
mate accounts for II, but they are con-
spicuously peaceful for redskins, and
perform almost incredible feats OF en-
durance. have known bucks OF
these tribes to run ahead OF a dog
sled as guides for over 100 miles. But
for all they have such amiable dis
positions. just let one OF them get his
anger or spirit Of revenge aroused
through jealousy or envy and the vic
| tim OF his wrath meets q death more
horrible than the tortures OF the in
QUESTION by the use OF these mysteri-
Gus. battling poisons. The modus OPP
erandi is simple enough. He takes his
case to one of the conjurers OF the
tribe-for the same custom prevails
among both the Crees and the Sal
teaux-who undertake the job Of re-
moving the Objectionable buck The
conjurer then starts of into the dense
forests alone and gathers n collection
OF barks and herbs unknown to bot
anists. With these he returns to his
wigwam and brews the destructive
mixture that does the business. Now
for the peculiar way In which It
works." the doctor continued II want
to say. by the way OF parenthesis, that
these tribes never go on the warpath.
They make no use OF tomahawk or
scalping knife. They never resort 10
the popular redskin method OF remov-
ing an enemy by shooting him down
from ambush. Poison is their sole re-
ceipt for settling scores. Fortified
then, with his potent drug, the mar
who Is out for vengeance manages tc
have 1t administered to his doomed
foe In his food. 1t may be months
before the effects are visible. Al
whatever time OF the year the poisor
Is taken II never begins to operate be
fore spring. Here Is one OF the mos
amazing features. The first sign I,
the appearance of sores on the body
and especially on the face OF the vic
tim. In the course OF a month or se
these would apparently dry ND and bs
followed by scales. But that is perel,
the seeming calm before the storm
for In the course OF few months
more, during which the poor buck suf.
fers indescribable tortures. these
rcales drop of, and in their place great
tufts OF hair spring up. The last stages
before death follows in its most agon-
izing form. far worse than the tor
lures from prussic acid and a great
deal more prolonged. remember
well,' resumed the narrator, how we
had heard OF these Indian poisons in
n vague way for some time In our
country, but knowing the medical
books contained nothing OF that sort
under the head OF toxicology we nut
the whole thing aside as a yarn. We
were rudely aroused one day from this
inhdelity by the appearance among us
OF buck about forty years old who
had been under his enemy's poisons.
He was In the earlier stages before
the scales formed. As he was a man
OF wonderful strength and superp pby-
siQue, 1t was hoped by a missionary
who had lived for many years with
these tribes that the victims life
might be saved II he could reach ciyili-
zation and get the benefit OF profes-
sional skill. So he had him brought.
like a good Samaritan, over that vast
Sahara OF snow and Ice. and put him
In our hands. Here at last was flesh
and-blood proof OF the poisons we had
laughed out OF court as impossible,
and we lost no time in deciding to
cure him. No mortal was ever more
carefully watched and dosed than that
redskin. We tried every antLdote
known to materIa medIca. both SIMPLE
and compound, but the poison turned
and laughed us out OF court, securing
a double revenge. Nothing we admin
istered could stop the slow but deadly
mixture. The giant buck went through
all. the stages have described, un-
I'll the most excruciating death put an
end to his miseries, All our science
was bound hand and foot. utterly help
less In the presence of this curious
fatal brew OF an Indian conjuror. We
know nothing and can learn nothing
OF the herbs that enter into this mix-
ture. Like the tricks OF savage priest
craft. this poison mystery has long
been kept secret among the conjur-
ers Of these two tribes. They are al
ways few in number and exercise the
greatest caution In transmitting II To