﻿20 
  

  

  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Magic 
  rites 
  were 
  observed 
  in 
  gathering 
  medicinal 
  materials. 
  This 
  

   extract 
  from 
  Mooney's 
  Sacred 
  Formulas 
  of 
  the 
  Cherokees 
  describes 
  

   the 
  practices 
  of 
  that 
  tribe 
  in 
  this 
  respect: 
  

  

  In 
  searching 
  for 
  his 
  medicinal 
  plants 
  the 
  doctor 
  goes 
  provided 
  with 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  white 
  and 
  red 
  beads, 
  and 
  approaches 
  the 
  plant 
  from 
  a 
  certain 
  

   direction, 
  going 
  round 
  it 
  from 
  right 
  to 
  left 
  one 
  or 
  four 
  times, 
  reciting 
  certain 
  

   prayers 
  the 
  while. 
  He 
  then 
  pulls 
  up 
  the 
  plant 
  by 
  the 
  roots 
  and 
  drops 
  one 
  of 
  

   the 
  beads 
  into 
  the 
  hole 
  and 
  covers 
  it 
  up 
  with 
  the 
  loose 
  earth. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  the 
  

   bead 
  is 
  intended 
  as 
  a 
  compensation 
  to 
  the 
  earth 
  for 
  the 
  plant 
  thus 
  torn 
  from 
  

   her 
  bosom. 
  In 
  some 
  cases 
  the 
  doctor 
  must 
  pass 
  by 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  

  

  plants 
  met 
  until 
  he 
  comes 
  to 
  the 
  fourth, 
  which 
  he 
  takes 
  and 
  may 
  then 
  return 
  

  

  Fig. 
  15. 
  — 
  Indian 
  mortar 
  and 
  pestle 
  

  

  for 
  the 
  ui 
  hers. 
  The 
  hark 
  is 
  always 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  tree, 
  and 
  

   when 
  the 
  root 
  or 
  branch 
  is 
  used 
  it 
  must 
  also 
  he 
  one 
  which 
  runs 
  out 
  toward 
  

   the 
  east, 
  the 
  reason 
  given 
  being 
  that 
  these 
  have 
  imbided 
  more 
  medical 
  potency 
  

   from 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun. 
  

  

  Some 
  tribes 
  were 
  very 
  careful 
  in 
  preserving 
  drugs. 
  Articles 
  of 
  

   materia 
  medica 
  were 
  dried 
  by 
  hanging 
  in 
  lodges. 
  They 
  were 
  then 
  

   pounded 
  in 
  a 
  mortar 
  (fig. 
  L5), 
  and 
  tied 
  up 
  in 
  bags 
  of 
  animal 
  

   tissue, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  coat 
  of 
  a 
  bladder 
  impervious 
  to 
  air. 
  and. 
  to 
  a 
  

   certain 
  extent, 
  to 
  water. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  are 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  (]vu^s 
  exhibited 
  in 
  the 
  

   National 
  Museum's 
  collection, 
  in 
  most 
  instances 
  to 
  call 
  attention 
  to 
  

   the 
  methods 
  of 
  treatment 
  rather 
  than 
  to 
  the 
  drugs 
  themselves. 
  

  

  