New-York tribune., 1909-09-25
POTENT ORACLES.
The Art of Healing in Ancient
MericO.
Paris. September II.

A excellent
peutics of the Nahuas. or ancient Mexicans' Is
70 be found in a book entitled Notes sur La
Medicine ct La Botanique des Anciens Mexi-
Gains" written by Father A. Gerste, OF the So
cietv Of Jesus who lived for fifteen years in
Mexico and who is a thorough student OF pre-
Columbian America. This little volume, pup
lished by the Due de Loubat. member OF the
Academy Of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres OF
the French Institute, and printed by the Poly
glot Press, at the Vatican. brings fresh evidence
of the great value Of the store of historic ma
terial, pertaining to America from the remotest
time TO the close of the eighteenth century. that
has accumulated at the Vatican, and which Is
due to the scientific researches, explorations and
discoveries made by the Jesuits. 1t Is a great
pity that the Jesuits have not also discovered
some more simple and less pedantic way OF
spelling ancient Mexican names. These names
when printed resemble complicated factors IN
equations Of celestial mechanics without the
Mus and minus signs. and when pronounced
sound something like man slapping himselt 10
obtain reaction after having taken a cold bath
striking feature of the Nahuas was their
marvellous skill in curing diseases and healing
wounds by means of herbs and plants. The
Spanish conquistadores were loud in their praise
OF Anahuac medicine and surgery. II was from
the Tlaxcalteques that they recruited the medl-
cal staff Of their armies During the disastrous
retreat of the "Noche Trste" and at the battle
of Otumba Cortes himself and twenty OF his Off
GERS who had been wounded or were delirtous
from acute fevers. healed and cured by
the Tlaxcalteque medical men Many Spanish
soldiers who had been abandoned as beyond all
hope OF recovery by the Spanish physicians and
surgeons were handed over TO the native Ana
huac medicine men. who cured them so promptly
and eficaciousy that their work was regarded
as miraculous Cortes, in letter to Charles V,
dated October so, 1920, which still exists in the
Vatican library. points out that the medical and
surgical science of Europe had much to learn
from the Indians Of New Spain. Hernandez.
the physician OF Philip H. who went to Mexico
in 1870 with the title Of Protomedico made an
exhaustive study Of the therapeutics Of New
Spain. and the results embodied in six
teen manuscript volumes which were destroyed
al the burning OF the Escurial. in 1871. Fortu-
nately. Jesuit priest had a copy of important
parts of Hernandezs manuscripts. and from this
copy Father Nuremberg had taken a summary,
which, so far as Amercanist students aware.
is the most trustworthy source OF information
on the subject.
Although the medicine and surgery OF the
Nahuas were impregnated with religious rites.
magic and sorcery. they were nevertheless based
upon what even to-day would be accepted as
sound principles The organization OF the med
ical service OF the Nahuas so complete that
in 1922 Cortes begged the Emperor TO forbid any
European physicians TO come 10 Mexico. They
nevertheless arrived but did not in any way
diminish the prestige Of the Indian medicine
men, many OF whom supplemented their knowl-
edge by the study OF European medicine in the
Spanish medical school established at the con-
vent OF TlateloIco. The profession OF medicine
in Anahuac was monopoIized by certain fam
ilies. Methods and traditions were handed down
from father TO son. and these were extended and
developed by personal experience and investi-
cation. The tutelary divinity Of Anahuac medl-
/ cine was Tociuatl. represented as an old woman
whose face was white from the forehead 10 the
tip OF the nose and jet black from the nose 20
/ the chin. Human sacrifices were made to her
The Nahualli or medical maglcians. worked. os-
tensbly at least by casting spells and e.chant-
ments. They regarded the destiny OF a human
being nseparaby united 10 that OF some ami
NAL which took the OF "NaguaI." The
magicians conducted children intrusted 10 their
care into the woods. where after religious sac
rihces each boy or girl presented 10 the
particular animal selected as hts or her "Nagual"
sometimes the "Nagual" was a stag pig bird
snake, toad or sheep. according to circumstances
The physicians Of ancient Mexico were. how
ever. not bound up with rigid sacred rites or
sacerdotal codes. the case with Egyp-
tian and Assyrian medicine men, who were for
bidden, under severe penalties. from practising
dissection or making personal Investigations.
The Nahuas, on the contrary, had a free hand
TO do whatever they thought might lead to use
full results
Balms. potions. ointments and concoctions
made from herbs. plants. flowers and vegetables
formed the basis of the therapeutics OF the
Nahuas. Indeed. the fora of Mexico is OF ex-
traordinaray richness and variety, because in
passing from Vera Cruz TO the CITY Of Mexico
the altitude is so great that four distinct botan-
ical zones are traversed-the low. fiat sea coast
the tropical region the temperate climate and
the frigid mountain SUBMITS Love Of flowers
was national passion In the ritual calendar
the goddess Of flowers XochiquetzaI, was Of
supreme Importance. The finest specimen OF
poetry Of the ancient Mexicans is the ode 10
Flowers" composed by the national Nahua poet
Nezahualcoyotl. who died in I472 No one could
be admitted 70 the kings presence unless with
/ a bouquet of rare flowers in hand Certain
precious flowers were reserved for the exclusive
use Of the nobility. One of the most sangiiinarv
wars Of history was waged for the unique speci-
men of the flower bearing shrub of the family
Of Borragines, the Nahuan name of which was
tlapallzquixochitl." Torquemada related how
MotecuhZoma, the last OF the emperors sent
his ambassadors To the tributary King Malinal
with the message that "Motecuhzoma our mas
ter and your hnsman. has been apprised by his
friend and ally King Akuizotl that you possess
in your garden the divine tlapalizquixochIu tree
with beautiful flowers and suave aroma. our
lord and master wishes to have this tree and
demands II of you. being willing to paw for II
any price that you may name" King Malinal
refused 10 part with the tree. The EMPEROR
forthwith declared war. and after a three months
/ campaign and seven pitched battles the tree was
captured, together with King Malinal who was