656 proceedings: anthropological society 



that the use of drugs was largely prophylactic and that after the disease 

 was well established they left nature to work its cure, merely regulating 

 the diet. The basal idea was to eliminate the evil, whether spirit or 

 substance. Hence, purgatives and venesection were much in vogue, 

 as among all nations. 



Throughout tropical America, the wood of the guayacan tree, lignum 

 mtae, was held to be a specific for the venereal disease called by the 

 Spaniards las hubas. Sarsaparilla was said to be the great panacea 

 about Guayaquil. The wonderful drugs, coca and quina-quina, were 

 peculiar to the Andean regions. The coca was chewed to ward off 

 hunger and fatigue. Quina, later known as Peruvian bark, was the 

 cure for fever. It was introduced into Europe about 1640. Among 

 the common people, old women were herbalists. The new-born babe 

 was bathed in cold water. Usually no midwife was employed. The 

 Peruvians knew of many poisons. Witchcraft and divination were 

 practiced. 



Mr. J. N. B. Hewitt spoke of the idea of getting the evil spirit out 

 of the patient as being common to all primitive peoples. In the Iro- 

 quois language the expression in case of sickness was "It is biting 

 me," "biting my tooth," or "biting my head," according to the part 

 affected. Dr. E. L. Morgan, among others who discussed the paper, 

 considered that trepanning probably had its origin in the idea of get- 

 ting rid of the evil spirit, but was continued as a custom because of the 

 curative results observed in some cases. Dr. Lamb, in response to an 

 inquiry, said that the flattening of the head among the ancient Peruvians 

 as among the Chinook Indians, probably had no effect on the intellect 

 because it was practiced in infancy. 



Daniel Folkmar, Secretary. 



