The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-07-13
Back to Nature.
BY DR.. w. H. WINSLOW.


bank in the shade of palmetto trees,
fishing lazily, smoking quietly and get
ting more bites from ants and MOSQUITOES
than from fishes.
A dugout canoe, padded by dying
man, crept through the canebrake of a
swamp and nosed against the bank. The
bright sunlight of Florida Illuminated
the pallid face like Xrays, and death
mask met the startled eyes of the abort
CINE. He uttered yell. dropped his pole
and fled into the forest. He thought
death had surely come for him.
"Oh! come back" called the canoist
in weak and despairing tones.
The Indian peered cautiously through
the bayonet and the palmetto leaves and
returned and greeted the stranger, who
was leaning against tree
Help me, Son of the Everglades:
am very sick and almost starved"
where you come FROM" asked the
brown Indian suspiciously.
81 am doctor from the icy North,
where gre at labor among suffering NOR
tails has ruined my health.
ugh! Me too, Medicine Man of the
Seminole Tribe. You shall go to my
wigwam." and the native supported and
led the Invalid through the forest to a
picturesque shack of poles, sided and
rooted by palm tto leaves.
Its floor was covered deep with long
savannah grass; hewed pine slab table
stood in the middle; some clothing and
blankets lay to the left, and grass
hammock swung on the right between
the side posts. A fish net, gun, some
iron kettles, several knives, few odd
dishes and lot of gourds, were scat
tered along the rear wall, where an open
ing led outward to stone fireplace, with
fcrked sticks and crane, supporting an
iron pot. steaming with a savory mess
that caused the doctor to sniff loudly
Lie here,' mu ttered the Indian as he
dropped the doctor upon the bed.
"How primitive, how comfortable, !"
painted the physician, as he drew blanket
over himself and rested his head upon a
grass pillow.
"Ugh! you like? Me get you eats
now," said his companion, and ne filled a
gourd from the kettle and fed his guest
tenderly from a wooden spoon.
"Ah! that warns my stomach and
makes me feel strong again, said the
doctor, smacking his lips and brighten
ing.
His attendant fed him to safety, then
gave him a spoonful of a strawberry
colored liquid from bottle and said,
Enough; good; sleep now
The man, worn out by too much civil
cation, nodded and fell into a sleep of
hours duration. When he awoke, he
saw his host in the hammock watching
him, who, seeing him awakened, asked,
How do?"
Il am better. l feel ! may live now.
What medicine did you give me after |
had eaten that delicious venison?"
coils and juices of plants of the Land
of Flowers. Their names are known
only in the Seminole tongue. They are
secrets of Medicine Man,
"but you can show me the plants and
l may know their English names.''
"White man knows much - Indian
knows more of Natures remedies
PERHAPS? The mixture thrilled me
from head to feet. l feel still it's tonic,
exhiarating power"
81 give you more
The Indian went to feed his fire, anc
the sick man slept until granting alliga
tors and sweet songs of birds announced
the dawn.
The white man gradually gained his
strength and health from simple fooC
and wildwood remedies, resignlng him
self to the gentle minstrations of the
Indian.
Day followed day in the wilderness
where these two diciples of Esculapius
rambled, canoed, fished, hunted ano
gathered roots, herbs and flowers. The
learned man and the untutored savage
exchanged ideas on diseases and medi.
cines; the one loquacious, the other reti.
cent; the one burdened by scientific lore,
the other modestly certain of few
secrets of Nature. The former knew
how chemical methods would improve
the mixture that had cured him; the lat
ter was taught to eliminate from his oils
and saps the non-essential, useless in
gradients.
est at last agreed upon formula, pur.
and powerful to cure, and decided, ovel
their pipes, to name it-What? There
by hangs another story: