BOTH] THE MEDICINE-MAN 351 



When the fever or pain increased, suction of the joints, as well as friction over all the 

 body with the hand, was employed. During the performance of this operation, 

 some unintelligible words were pronounced, with a loud voice, commanding the e\'il 

 spirits to depart out of the patients body. If the malady did not readily yield, the 

 Piache or physician had recourse to a particular kind of wood, known to himself 

 alone, vith which he rul)l)eil the breast, throat, and mouth of the patient; a practice 

 which seldom failed to produce sickness and vomiting. In the meantime the Piache 

 on his side uttered dreadful exclamations, howled, shook, and made a thousand con- 

 tortions with his body . If the sick person recovered, everything contained in the house 

 was given to the Piache; if he died, the fault was imputed to Destiny, never to the 

 physician. [KD, 50.] 



314. Among the Island Carib Indians the piai procedure was of 

 the simplest kmd: 



They say that the Chemeen [Sect. 90 et scf).] always comes on scenting the odor of 

 this incense [tobacco] and, being interrogated, he answers with a clear voice, but 

 sounding as from a distance. The sorcerer then approaches the sick person repeatedly, 

 feels, presses, and manipulates the suffering part, always blowing on it, and extracts 

 something from it, or rather appears to extract, some thorns, or small pieces of cassava, 

 wood, or bones, making the sick person believe that this was the sole cau.se of the pain. 

 Very often he sucks the painful part, and immediately goes out of the house to vomit 

 what he calls the poison. [BUR, 234.] 



The following are further particulars of the Island practices as 

 reported bj- Rochefort and Poincy: 



The Boye . . . consults his Familiar Spirit who tells him that it is the [Familiar] 

 Spirit of such an one who has done it [who has brought the mischief] [RoP, 473]. . . . 

 Then the devil [Familiar Spirit] whom he has invoked . . . violently shakes the ridge 

 of the roof, or with some other noise immediately appears, and replies distinctly to 

 all the questions asked by the Boye [ibid., 563]. ... If the devil assures him that 

 the illness is not mortal, both the Boye and the accompanying phantom approach the 

 sick person to assure him that he will soon be cured; and to encourage him in this hope 

 they touch gently the most painful parts of his body, and having pressed them a little 

 pretend to extract from them thorns, broken bones, splinters of wood and stones which 

 these ^^Tetched doctors say were the cause of the ill. They also moisten with their 

 breath the weak spot and having repeatedly sucked it, they i)ersuade the patient 

 that by this means they have extracted the poison which was in his body and kept it 

 in languor. They finally rub the sick person's body with junipa fruit. . . . But 

 if the Boye has learnt from the communication which he has had with his demon 

 that the sickness is a fatal one, he contents himself with consoling the sick person by 

 the statement that this God, or rather to say, his Familiar Devil, having pity on him, 

 wishes to take him into his company, so as to be freed from all his infirmities. [RoP, 

 564.] 



315. With regard to the nature of the Spirits specially invoked, 

 Banington Browai (Bro, 140) when describing the performances of a 

 Makusi piai at Mora Village, upper Rupununi, remarks that — 



In some instances the good spirit for the time being brought with it the evil one 

 that was supposed to have had some hand in producing the man's malady; and then 

 the wife asked it how it could come and injure a being who had never harmed it, 

 begging it to desist and leave her husband alone. The only answer she obtained to 

 this appeal was a most diabolical, mocking laugh. The Makunaima, or great spirit, 



