Evening star., 1932-04-12
SAYS WHITE MAN
DISEASED indian
Or. HrdIicka Tells of Studies
of Skeletons of
Aborigines.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The American Indian before the white
man came was exceptionally healthy
and free from deformities.
Such is the definite conclusion Of DR..
Ales Hrdlicka, curator of physical an
thropology of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition, from the study Of many thou
sands of skulls and skeletons of the
aboriginal population of the New World
before the coming of the white men.
DR.. Hrdlicka summarized his studies
in the Kober lecture at Georgetown
University last night. These studies
fail to show, he said, any traces of
rickets, tuberculosis and other destruc-
tive diseases of the white people, while
early observations showed there were
no smallpox, cholera, measles or other
scourges Indications of cancer are
very rare There were some localized
pathological conditions, but it Is doubt
full if there were any epidemic diseases
of American origin.
The undue number Of skeletons OF
young women in the ancient burlalS IN
dicates deaths from the incidents of
childbirth were frequent, although per
haps not more so than in Europe at the
same time The skeletons of children
indicate the presence in the more
densely populated regions Of an obscure
nutritional condition that was some
times fatal.
Magical Treatment.
Skeletal and other studies, he said,
show medicine and surgery IN the New
World were at about the stage they
reached in pre-Christian Europe. Basi-
cally the treatments of the medicine
men and the medicine women were
magical. Disease was attributed to the
direct or indirect influence OF maIg- \
nant spirits, and these must be fright
ened away, propitiated or induced In
some other way to leave before the
patient would recover. There were
specialists" for the treatment OF diff
ferent forms of sickness, and the more
famous ones would charge highly for
their services.
But, DR.. Hrdlicka pointed out, the
actual practice was better than the
theory. The medicine man couldn't
afford to let too many patients die or
he would lose the good will of the tribe
his practice. his fees and perhaps even
his life. He became a master OF sug-
gestion and met with considerable de-
gree of success.
Moreover, in addition to his magic he
| developed, or took over from others.
various effective empirical remedies and
| treatments, with some of which he was
very successful. Most of the common
disorders were treated sensibly, as well
as by magic. Empiric antiSeptics were
| used in treatment of wounds. Bleeding
was stopped by application to the wound
of scrapings from tanned skin, which
had tendency to coagulate the blood.
The Indian knew of poiSonS, emetics.
cathartics, antifebrileS, narcotics and
tonics. In the Andean region espe-
..;a 10 in nT1n rafhnr
skilled surgery. This was the "trepan-
ming operation" on the skull, used pri-
marily to relieve bone depressionS on
the brain, the results of wounds. The
method of warfare was such that the
cracked skulls were frequent.
Both Indians and EskimoS, DR..
Hrdlicka said, had everywhere the
sweat lodge" treatment. Either at
stated occasions or when he was lust
feeling bad" the man would sit naked
in a steam filled inclosure which would
cause him to sweat profusely. Then he
would dive into cold water. or. among
the Eskimos especially. into a snow
bank. Sometimes small groups would
take sweat baths together. Apparently
the practice was confined largely. II not
entirely. TO the men, II was especially
effective as treatment for such cOndi-
tions as arthritiS and rheumatism.
Developed In Asia.
There can be little question. DR..
Hrdlioka says, that the sweat lodge
treatment developed In Asia before the
ancestors Of the Indians and Eskimos
came To the New world, From its place
OF origin IL travelled In two directions
across Herring strait and also through
Asia TO Russia and Turkey, where 10
appears In the well known Russian and
Turkish baths.
Stueies OF the living Indian. Or,
Hrdlleka says. show the blood has
slightly different chemical properties
from that OF the white races, There is
also a consistently slower pulse rate. In
tests OF muscular strength, he said, the
Indian makes lower records than whites |
OF most groups. although there is con-
siderable overlapping.
Both the Indian and the Eskimo, DR.
Hrdlicka said, had considerable super
fetal knowledge Of anatomy. He has