INDIAN MEDICINE. 657 



this in turn gave way to a third that embodied still more prominently 

 the peculiarities of the last. During all this marching the performers, 

 each and severally, at varied intervals, cast into the blaze articles taken 

 from their " medicine-bags " or amulet-pouches, offerings that con- 

 sisted for the most part, as our olfactories afforded abundant evidence, 

 of shreds of skins, bits of bone, horn, hair, and other animal matters, 

 selected without regard to uniformity, but in accordance with the taste 

 or fancy of the individual through some act or incident that was sup- 

 posed to imbue the same with " medicine." 



Turn and turn about these chants were repeated to a running ac- 

 companiment of drums, rattles, and bells in the hands of the acolytes 

 or apprentices seated at the opposite side of the fire for the purpose 

 and who varied their music in accordance w T ith the rise and fall of 

 the voices of their superiors, now and again instituting foul scents on 

 their own account, or chorusing the din with responsive shrieks and 

 howls. 



In this way the powwow was carried on for an hour or more, when 

 the entire chorus came to an abrupt stand, and with a final flourish of 

 instruments face inward toward the sufferer. With another flourish 

 each stretched forth his right arm, the hand holding the sacred medi- 

 cine-bag, which was directed point-blank at the object of conjuration, 

 a position that was maintained so long that it caused my arm to ache 

 through sympathy. And then the leader uttered a sharp and authori- 

 tative "Hugh! begone!" when march and tune w r ere resumed as 

 before. 



Three times these ceremonies were gone over in all detail, and 

 three times the obnoxious spirits were bidden to depart. Then, in re- 

 sponse to queries propounded by Pou-ni-ka-ma-ta, the sufferer admitted 

 some little benefit that sensation was in some measure restored, or, 

 as he expressed it, the arm felt as if awakening from a " big sleep." 



Simultaneously with the expiration of the ninth series of ceremo- 

 nials and the final "Begone ! " the poor paralytic became animated by 

 a species of ecstasy, as it were, and sprang into the air several times in 

 rapid succession, whirling the maimed member around his head vio- 

 lently with apparently perfect command, at the same time uttering 

 blood-curdling yells and screeches : then fell to dancing violently to 

 music of his own improvising, more remarkable for volume and pitch 

 than for harmony or sentiment ; conducting himself for all the world 

 as if possessed by an infinite number of those gentry that, in Scriptural 

 times, were accredited with an unusual and somewhat precarious fond- 

 ness for pork. 



No one interfered. Indeed, all appeared to regard the matter as 

 one of course. And when the poor crazed paralytic sank to the ground 

 exhausted and helpless, frothing at the lips and every muscle tense and 

 spasmodically twitching and quivering, not a hand was lifted for his 

 resuscitation ; after a few moments' gazing, audience and performers 

 vol. xxix. 42 



