J900-1.] D^n6 Surgery. 21 



hope of a speedy recovery ; but almost any bodily discomfort, if too 

 prolonged, is to him a torment past endurance. 



To return to our surgical experiment. Should the tinder totally 

 consume itself on the flesh, the operation was deemed a failure, and it 

 was at once repeated on an adjoining place. Was the result of 

 the second attempt identical with that of the first, a third spot, 

 always close to the joint, was operated on, until, under the effect 

 of a slight explosion due, perhaps, to the sudden contact of the 

 fire with the serous fluid under the epiderm, the burning piece of 

 tinder flew up as a sure token of the disappearance of the cause 

 of pain. 



The greatest faith was placed in the efficacy of this operation, 

 and many an old Carrier bears to this day indelible marks which testify 

 to his former trust in that " fire cure." 



Another kind of operation in connection wherewith fire figured as 

 a most important factor, was that resorted to as a cure against ear-ache. 

 It has an even more superstitious complexion, and it is likewise on the 

 wane. In such cases, a few hairs picked from the tail of a dog were 

 singed and their extremities introduced, while burning, into the drum 

 of the ear. Should the hair used have been that of a she-dog, the cure 

 was regarded as a matter of course. 



Another appliance much in vogue among the Carriers, and which, 

 though taken from the vegetable kingdom, is hardly less effective than 

 fire, is a sort of blister made of the bruised green leaves and stems 

 of a plant called waltak in Carrier, and of the botanical identity of 

 which I am not quite sure, though I incline to the belief that it is the 

 Ranunculus sceleratus. Its caustic properties are so great that it is 

 seldom applied directly to the flesh, sometimes a thick covering of 

 linen stuff being unequal to the task of rendering its application 

 bearable for more than a few moments. It is used against almost 

 any acute pain of a local character. 



Passing now to the various branches of the surgical art such as it is 

 practised among the Northern Denes, we may come to the setting of 

 broken limbs. This, I am bound to say, is done in a most clumsy 

 way. Though all our Indians, being expert huntsmen and therefore 

 experienced butchers, know and name without the least difficulty any 

 part of the animal anatomy, the most they formerly could do in 

 connection with the injured human body was to try, not always 



