1886.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF .SCIENCES. 203 



Prof. 0. P. Hubbard spoke of the history of the Tiiscaroras; 

 of their removal from Virginia and union with the Six Nations. 

 He stated that this tribe successfully performed upon their cap- 

 tives, customarily, a surgical operation upon the foot, now known 

 among surgeons as Hey's operation. 



Mrs. Smith thought the medical knowledge of the Indians 

 was very slight. 



President Newberry said that he had visited over forty 

 Indian tribes in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and 

 being especially interested, as a physician, in their remedies, he 

 had made many observations and inquiries upon the subject. 

 He regarded Indian medical practice upon the whole as being a 

 humbug. The Indians esteem many aromatic plants, but 

 these have usually little value. Earely their vegetable reme- 

 dies have some utility. For example, the Pueblos now use a 

 ]'oot with good 'effect for scrofulous ulcers and obstinate wounds. 

 No remedy is known among the Indians for rattlesnake bite. 

 Tlie Wild Indigo is used for this, but its efficacy is not proven. 

 Many tribes of Indians iiave a heroic remedy which consists in 

 causing a profuse perspiration, in their "sweat-house," and then 

 plunging into cold water. The shock thus produced may some- 

 times have been effective for good, oftener for evil. Among the 

 Utes he had observed a novel method of producing vomiting, by 

 exposing the bare stomach to the hot sun. The exposed life of 

 the Indian is conducive to vigor, and he is rarely sick. But 

 when he does fall sick, like a horse or dog, he generally dies. 



Prof. Trowbridge related his experience among the Indians 

 of Cape Flattery, and gave an account of an almost fatal trouble 

 produced by breaking the rule of never prescribing medicine for 

 an Indian. 



He believed that no Indian tribe had, as a whole, been the first 

 party to break a compact. 



President Newberry and Mrs. Smith agreed with Prof. 

 Trowbridge that the Indians had been shamefully abused by 

 the whites, and that nearly all the Indian wars were caused 

 by the latter. They were also agreed that the Indians should 

 have land in sereralty, and be brought under the civil law. 



March 29, 1886. 

 Stated Meeting. 

 The President, Dr. J. S. Newberry, in the chair. 

 Twenty-five persons present. 



