220 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 34 



MISCELLAXEOrS 



From three of the agencies, the Xez Perce in Idaho, I,a Pointe in Wisconsin, and 

 that of the Sisselon Sioux, only estimates ot tVibercuknis cases ■were given, and these 

 apparently included possible incipient cases as well as the developed cases of the 

 disease. The data were not accurate enough to be included with the others, but 

 there can be no dovibt of the prevalence in these localities of the disease iu its various 

 forms. Tin- mailer is undiT further investitration. 



XII. INDIAN CONCEPTION OF DISEASE, ITS PREVENTION 

 AND TREATMENT; FOLK MEDICINE AND MEDICINE-MEN 



Although Indian views concerning disease and Indian methods and 

 means of treatment are really subjects of ethnological rather than of 

 medical interest, thev deserve attention here as they bear an impor- 

 tant relation to the morbidity and mortality of the people. These 

 views and methods are not uniform among the tribes, or even within 

 the larger individual tribes; nevertheless they present tlu'oughout a 

 homogeneous basis and admit of treatment iu conunon. 



For the gi'eater part the Indian conceptions of disease differ 

 radically from those of modern civilized and educated man, but they 

 are closely related. to those of other peoples, including whites, in sim-" 

 ilar stages of social development. 



Of his own initiative the southwestern Indian north of central 

 Mexico has never approached scientific study and explanation of 

 disease or scientific methods of treatment. He has observed keenly, 

 but has not reached the stage of systematic, critical investigation. 

 His knowledge consists of memories of experiences and of traditional 

 interpretations of experiences. His mind being untutored, these 

 memories are often imperfect and the interpretations biased and 

 erroneous. His reasoning is largely confined to simple or apparent 

 analogies which are not usually sufficient for correct determinations, 

 and is much influenced by traditional views, religion, and unbridled 

 fantasy. One of the chief results of such reasoning with the Indian, 

 as with other primitive men, is that every object, organic or inorganic, 

 may exert, it is 'believed, in a gi'eater or less degi*ee mysterious power 

 for good or evil on every other object, and his conception of sickness 

 is largely based on this notion. 



From all that the ^^Titer cotdd learn on this very complex subject 

 the more general ideas of disease and its etiology among many of the 

 southwestern Indians are as follows : Illness is a deleterious spell which 

 induces bodily suffering, is generally inimical to physical welfare, and 

 may even bring an untimely death. These manifestations excite the 

 closest attention of those affected and theii- fi-iends and a strong desire 

 to learn the causes. The Indian, who is not devoid of common 

 sense, knows that certain natural conditions, such as extremes of cold 



