^78?^' EASTERN CHEROKEE GROUPS — KUPFERER 271 



tration of insulin, but not nearly so faithful in following the dietary 

 regulation in which they have been instructed. 



CATEGORY 2. PATIENTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH MEDICAL SERVICES 



The second group is composed of the Rural Whites and the General- 

 ized Indians who use to the fullest extent the facilities offered by the 

 Public Health Service. Unless they are referred to other physicians 

 or specialists by the reservation medical staff, they seldom go off the 

 reservation for treatment. While none admit using Indian doctors, 

 some may use herbs which they regard as effective. ''Do you ever 

 use Indian doctors: do you believe in them?" one was asked. She 

 replied, "Well, those who use herbs can help. I've used herbs for 

 the children. Yellowroot is good for thrash in the mouth . . . wUd 

 cherry is good for colds. My mamma uses herbs, too." Another 

 mother of a large Rural White family said: 



We used to be bad to do that [formerly made frequent use of herb medicine] 

 but we don't do it much any more. On the other side of the creek is a medicine 

 called boneset. It's very good for fever. You make tea out of it and drink it 

 hot as you can. Junior says it tastes terrible. Years ago my mother and some of 

 those people up there [Big Cove] would never go to a doctor down here, but now 

 most of them do. We always take ours [take their children to the Public Health 

 doctors in Cherokee]. 



Tom, the father of another Rural White famUy, is typical of people 

 in category 2 in his frequent use of the Public Health Service. His 

 comments about his medical problems reflect the poor communication 

 that often exists between the medical practitioners and the people in 

 category 2. For example, he said that the Public Health doctor told 

 him he had "just given out." He is under treatment for severe 

 asthma. His medicine, he says, "Smells like cherry bark and alcohol 

 and tastes worse than it smeUs." Tom has another condition which 

 affects one leg. He was referred to a doctor in Asheville for X-rays. 

 His remarks about this experience also mirror his confusion. Tom 

 said that the AshevUle doctor told him he'd never seen "so much gas 

 coming from the ligaments in his back to his leg." A suspicious spot, 

 which was thought to be cancer, showed up on the plate and the 

 county welfare worker told Tom this. Later the Public Health 

 doctor told him that it was a result of having but one kidney. "Any- 

 way," Tom said, "There ain't nothing you can do about cancer. 

 I wouldn't let them cut into me." In contrast to the woman cancer 

 patient in category 1 who is being treated by an Indian doctor, Tom 

 said he would never go to an Indian doctor although he gets little 

 relief from the medications he takes. Tom has a favorite physician 



