416 EXPEDITION TO THE 



the latter menstruate at fourteen; this difierence is easily 

 accounted for by the more severe climate which the Dacotas 

 inhabit, and by their greater exposure to privations of every 

 kind ; they have various emmenagogues. Women are fre- 

 quently liable, during pregnancy, to lethargy and sick-sto- 

 mach, and we are informed that the Dacota women have 

 their faces covered with spots, in the same manner as white 

 women. Being hardened to exercise, they attend to their 

 usual occupations even in the last stages of gestation. This 

 has frequently been brought up as a proof that the deli- 

 cacy of white women, in that situation, was rather the result, 

 than the cause, of the great care which they take of them- 

 selves ; but it appears to us very probable, that the pro- 

 portion of accidents, which occur to Indian women during 

 the period of pregnancy, is greater than among white wo- 

 men ; and that this would be much diminished if they 

 were permitted to take the same care to avoid the causes 

 of accidents, as is common among civilized nations.. The 

 process of parturition is generally easy, though in some in- 

 stances the labour has lasted from two to four days. They 

 administer medicines in such cases, and among these the 

 rattle of the rattlesnake, in doses of one segment at a time. 

 Inflammation and abscess of the breast are known, but are 

 not of very common occurrence ; for these the only reme^ 

 dies are singing and sucking. A custom, which has been 

 improperly ascribed to all Indian women, is that of bathing 

 in cold water immediately after parturition ; we have al- 

 ready stated that it does not exist among the Potawato- 

 mis; but the Dacotas adhere to it very pertinaciously. We 

 have heai*d of an instance of a very delicate female who 

 resides at Prairie du Chien. Her mother is a Dacota, but 

 her father being a white man, she was educated among ci- 

 vilized women, and has acquired their habits. She marri- 



