120 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 45 



Two of the bones which are supposed to be swallowed are here 

 shown (fig. 8); these are 2^ inches long and about one-half inch in 

 diameter. The texture of these bones indicates that they are very- 

 old. They were procured by the writer from a man on the White 

 Earth reservation who had been a doctor for many years but had given 

 up the practice. His well-worn rattle was also purchased, but this is 

 not shown in the illustration. On another reservation the writer was 

 shown a string of ten or twelve bones which the owner said he repeat- 

 edly swallowed in his cures of the sick. Large numbers of bones 

 are often ''swallowed," each doctor having a collection of bones for 

 the purpose; a number of these are frequently worn on a string around 

 his neck. 



The sick person lies on the ground, the doctor kneeling at his right 

 side. (See pi. 10.) The doctor holds his rattle in his right hand and at 



Fig. 8. Bones used by Chippewa doctor in treating the sick. 



his left hand is a pan or bowl of water in which lie the bones to be 

 swallowed. The doctor opens his mouth, protrudes his tongue, places 

 the moistened bone on it, and "swallows" it quickly. After shaking 

 the rattle a while he "swallows" another of the bones; usually this 

 procedure is continued until four or five bones have been disposed of in 

 this manner. One doctor stated that the bones lodge in the chest near 

 the shoulder. It is also said that there is a spirit inside the doctor 

 which takes the bones. 



After " swallowing " the bones the doctor strikes his breast with the 

 rattle ; then he leans over the sick person and strikes his back l:)etween 

 the shoulders with the rattle. It is claimed that this enables him to 

 see where the disease is located in the patient. 



In giving the following three songs MainTins stated that he always 

 sang the first song after he had looked at the siclc person and decided 

 that he could help him. Afterward he sang the other two songs. 



