The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-11-23
OF Mid
COLUMBIA INDIANS
"a paper by Capt. n. C. Coe)

"a paper by Capt. h. c. Coe)
The Medicine Man: = The Medicine
Man, or Woman. for there were as
many as, il not more women than men
doctors, have as rule been given
greater credit for influence in tribal
matters than they deserve. My obser-
vstions have been that they were little
more important than anyone else in
their local confabs or pow vows. But
cetainly their vocation was risky one
as 1t was perfectly legitimate and
proper to send the unfortunate Medi-
cine Man to the Happy Hunting Ground
to accompany the patient be had failed
to cure. The profession was also very
lucrative-had to be paid for the risks
tsken-and often after serious spell
of sickness the doctor would walk of
with practically everything his victim
owned. / never knew of their having
given medicine Of any kind. though
they may have done SO.
Their usual mode of procedure was
to place the patient on his or her back,
il the sick person were not already IN
that position. The operator then fold
ed the hands together and blew through
them, much as a little boy would do
when whistling through his hands. and
all the while the face was twisted into
mass of wrinkles. The doctor would
then place his hands, still clinched. un-
der the ribs of the patient, forcing
them into the body until the sick per-
son writhed in agony. Soon peculiar
thing would happen. On withdrawing
the hands they would contain some
thing, which the Medicine Man claimed
was the evil one in visible form. The
hands still clinched together, would be
plunged into basin of water, and
when withdrawn this evil one could be
plainly seen floating on the water.
W hat this was have never had the
slightest idea. 1t was a whitish opaque
object of about the size of a quarter of
a dollar.
After showing this the hands were
again plunged into the water, the evil
one clasped, the hands again clinched
and placed to the mouth. Blowing
throug gh his fists the Medicine Man
would again produce the facial contor-
tions, and when finally the hands we're
opened the evil one would be gone
blown to smithereens.
Once had an invitation to see a
noted eye specialist operate on par
tlcularly bad case. The patient, a
young girl from across the river, was
brought here to be treated. On enter
ing the tent the doctor, an old woman
from Warm Springs. Immediately re-
fused to proceed in the presence of
strangers, but on being told that | was
the same as one of the family she con-
sented to my remaining.
The girl, about is years of age, had
been suffering from terrible pains in
her right eye. She was placed in re-
clining position with the old woman
squatting on the ground beside her.
The performance began with the blow
ing on the hands. had hoped for
something different, but awaited de-
velopments. The girl. evidently dread
ing the operation. wrung her hands and
moaned. even before the old woman
began her treatment. The Doctors
clnched hands we're placed against the
girls right temple, near the outer cor
ner of the eye. and held there for per-
haps five minutes, all the while the
Medicine Woman making the usual
grunting sounds. Then there seemed
to be a struggle with her hand as if
she we're trying to grasp and draw
something from the bead of the girl.
The patient screamed out in great
pain. Suddenly the old woman with
drew her hands and plunged them into
the basin of water, shortly to be with
drawn. Lo, there was the evil one,
yanked out bodily by the roots and
floating helplessly on the water.
My cruiosity was aroused and made
a grab for the uncanny thing, but the
old woman was too quick for me. Seiz-
ing my hands she said angrily, "Do
you want to get her disease? Be satis-
fed with what you have seen." | then
examined the girls head. There was
not a mark or bruise of any descrip-
tion. | have never learned whether
the operation was successful or not.
Another instance: One of our Indi-
ans had a sick child, girl of about
five years of age. One day he came to
me feeling very badly. as the child was
getting worse. knew there was no
hope, for the little girl had the white
mans dread disease, consumption. l
promised to do what could, and in the
company of prominent physician of
the city, went to his camp. l had
objected to his having an Indian doctor
and was provoked on entering the tent
to find an old woman doctor at work.
The child was on her back, and the old
woman had her mouth at the child's
navel. | took hold of her shoulder and
pulled her away rather roughly. She
then spat out a mouthful of blood into
basin that already contained goodly
quantity. The physician was dumb
founded. He examined the child care
fully, but could find no abrasion or
opening of any sort from which such a
quantity of blood could have come. But
| there it was, an indisputable evidence
of the old woman's sorcery.
Another instance will suffice. An
Indian named Skoothun, who will be
remembered by many of the older
members of the Hood River Pioneer
society, had a daughter by a former
wife who was just blooming into wo-
manhood. The girl was about IA years
old, and to celebrate this momentous
event. a notable party was given. An
Indian doctress of great repute was
sent for. A platform was built across
one end of the house for the perform
ers, and loose boards we're placed
around the room to be beaten on to fur
nish music for the dancers. The Sc
ance opened about p. m. with ter:
rifle bombardment of clubs on the roof
of the house by visiting squads from
across the river. After a number of
dancers had performed their stunts.
simply jumping up ana down and keep
ing time to the singing and beating of
clubs on the boards, the doctress, this
time for a wonder remarkably young,
tnok the nlatfnrm After short