sWANTONl TXDIAX TRIBES OF TTTE LOWER MTSRTSSIPIM VAT.LEV 81 



a kiinl of coiic ((•«/•//(/» wliicli llii'v iipiily to tlic placi". 'I'liis is what tliey 

 call a lilccdiii^'." 



This scarilication was naturally i(leiitiHe«l l)y the Frenchmen with 

 their own treatment hy blood lettin^-, hut it may i)e susi)ected from 

 what we know of similar customs elsewhere in America that the 

 whole })rocee(lini>: was "one throuirh in order to draw out a malii^nant 

 spirit or some supernatural object which was causing the disturbance. 

 However, if we arc to rely upon the same authors, the Natchez doc- 

 tors deserved that name more than most abori_<i:inal practitioners in 

 North America, since a hirge part of their treatment was by means 

 of herbs, and it is highly praised by both. l)u Pratz was himself 

 treated by them in both ways and describes his experience as follows: 



However, my sickness Leonsisting of pains in the thighs] did not diminish 

 at all, and the more it was prolonged the more I apprehended an unfavorable 

 outcome. For this rgason I determined to avail myself of a [native] surgeon 

 or juggler wlio was recounnended to me and wlio told me he would cui"e me 

 by sucking the place where my pain was. He made some scarifications with 

 a splinter of tiint, all about the size of the incision of a lancet, and disposed 

 in such a fashion that he was able to sucli all of them at one time, which he 

 did, causing me thereby extreme pain. He stopped from time to time, appar- 

 ently to enable me to endure his work, and treated nic ilius for the space of 

 half an hour. I had food given to liim and sent him back after having paid 

 him, the usage being too well establislied in all countries to pay those who treat 

 diseases, whatever happens. 



The next day I felt a little relieved. I went to walk in my field. During my 

 walk I was advised to place myself in the liands of Natchez doctors, who were 

 said to have much knowledge and made cures which partook of the miraculous. 

 Many examples were cited to me, which were confirmed l)y persons worthy 

 of confidence. 



What would I not have done for my recovery? Into whose hands would I 

 not have put myself in view of the pains which I then sutTeredV Resides, the 

 remedy was very simple, according to tlie explanation which was made to me. 

 It involved nothing more serious than a poultice; it w^as applied to the affected 

 part, and at the end of eight days I was in condition to go to the fort. I was 

 entirely cured, for from that time I felt nothing more. What a satisfaction 

 for a young man who finds liimself in perfect health after having been com- 

 pelled to keep to his house for tlie space of four months and a half, without 

 having been able to go out for an instant ! ^ 



It is not entirely clear from this wdiether the doctors were both 

 Natchez. If this w^ere the case the words would seem to imply a still 

 further dift'erentiation of fmiction anion": them between the doctor 

 who treated by scarification and blood letting and the one who de- 

 pended on herbs. Later Du Pratz had a second experience of the 

 ability of Natchez herbalists, in the course of which he makes rather 

 disparaging comments on the medical profession of his own people. 

 However, in his day there was undoubtedly much less diiference be- 



» Dumont, M^m. Hist, sur La Louisiane, i, 172-173. 

 " Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, i, 135-136. 



83220— Bull. 43—10 6 



