130 EXPEDITION TO THE 



pox to be violent but once, they have not entertained that 

 opinion, of its return at periodical times, which is said to 

 be held by other nations. Dr. Hall's offer to vaccinate 

 them was accepted by many and declined by others. 

 Metea told us that vaccination had only been abandoned 

 for want of the virus, he expressed a great wish to obtain 

 some, and said if he had it, he would use his influence to 

 disseminate it. 



Syphilis was, according to Metea, known to the Indians 

 in its mildest form prior to the arrival of white men among 

 them. It is considered as having increased in virulence and 

 frequency, since the promiscuous intercourse of white men 

 and squaws which is not interrupted, according to the uni- 

 form practice of Indians, during the period of the catamenia. 

 When the disease is in its mild state, they cure it very readily 

 by timely application to their medicine men ; the principal 

 remedies are decoctions of the red root and the prairie willow 

 root, as also of sassafras. In such cases they drink very plenti- 

 fully. These remedies are not applied to the disease in its worst 

 forms : we heard that they had remedies which, even in these 

 cases, were considered as certain, but of which we could 

 not ascertain the nature. In all such diseases, they apply 

 to their regular doctors, who are said to charge very extra- 

 vagant fees. These men combine the use of spells with 

 that of herbs, and are held in very great esteem. Their 

 materia medica consists of astringents, cathartics, emetics, 

 mucilages, and sudorifics. Among the emetics most in use, 

 we heard of pills made from the product of the evapora- 

 tion of a decoction of the horse-chestnut boiled down to a 

 viscous state. One of their sudorifics is said to consist in 

 the application of a poultice of maize, boiled as for food, 

 which is spread over the body of the sick person, who 

 is first extended on a board or skin. The maize used in 



