PAWNEES. 18 



ov6r a spot perhai^s as large as a dollar, and then plaeg 

 over the wound so made the larger end of a cow's horn, 

 and with the mouth and lungs exhaust the air at the other 

 end so as to cause the ])lood to run, till they have acccmi- 

 plished their ol>ject and removed the seat of disease. It 

 was thus these tribes practiced in removing fevers. But not 

 so With the Paw^nees. Their doctors would take a dilferent 

 course ; they would puff and blow all over the patient witli 

 the mouth in order to cool off the fever, and instead of 

 dieting according to the rules of our physicians they would 

 set before the patient all the tempting viands in their reach. 

 Their philosophy is that while he can eat he will live, and 

 if he does not eat his allowance he will die. Hence it 

 seemed to be almost useless to give medicine to a Pawnee 

 sick with a fever. If the fever is once broken, and the 

 patient begins to recover, his appetite comes like an armed 

 man and it is useless to tell him he must not gratify that 

 appetite. His maxim is eat or die, and the fact generally 

 is in such a case eat and die. Their eating is not such as 

 is required to sustain a weakened frame, but such as a 

 sickly appetite demands. Perhaps their practice in cases 

 of fever is most erroneous, but we saw more of this because 

 ' ' chills and fevers " were first introduced among them Avhen 

 we were there. But they did not seem to understand the 

 nature of any disease. -They can perform no surgical (>[)- 

 eration with safety. In cases of accident they cannot take 

 up an artery. Their diseases in their simple life are all of 

 a simple kind, and they seem to have no complex diseases 

 among them. Their practice at an accouchment is simply 

 the rattling of a gourd, a child's rattle. I have lately seen 

 a medicine advertised to cure the tooth ache, which was said 

 to have come from these same Pawnees. A more con- 

 temptal)le imposition could not well be practiced, as they 

 were never subject to any disease of the teeth. An ano- 

 d^aie for the tooth ache or a vermifuge obtained from them 

 would he alike worthless, they having no use for either. 



But enough as to their medicinal practice. Let us take 

 a view of their habits abroad. Their village is built on 



