496 A STUDY OF SIOUAN CULTS. 



liis throat. Such exhibitions by the doctors have been observed by the 

 Indiaus, who iire constrained to believe what the doctors claim for tUem- 

 selves. And because they believe that the doctors are very mysteri- 

 ous, the latter are able to gather together many possessions as pay for 

 their services. Therefore the men and women doctors try to excel one 

 another in their skill, as it pays them so well. 



§294. A "pezuta wica.sa" told Biishotter to say to his step-father 

 that his son, Bushotter's younger brother, had been made crazy by a 

 ghost. The doctor came and fumigated the patient, and after he felt a 

 little better he sucked at the boy's chest and drew out some blood. 

 He resumed the operation, and then declared that there was in the 

 boy's side a flat object resembling a serpent, the removal of which 

 would insure the boy's recovery. The doctor was promised a horse if 

 he would attend the patient until he cured him. Acting by his direc- 

 tions, Bushotter's elder brother caught a large catfish, of the species 

 called "howasapa," and handed it to his step-father, who ofl'ered a 

 prayer and marked the fish with a knife on the top of the head. After 

 this the fish was cooked, and the sick boy ate it and recovered his 

 health. It was after this that the same boy was cured by invoking the 

 Dawn and offering sacrifice, as related in § 215. 



GOPHEK LORE. 



§ 295. Scrofulous sores on the neck under the jaw are said to be 

 caused by gophers. These animals can shoot at persons in a magical 

 way with the tii) of a species of grass, wounding them very mysteriously, 

 the injured person being unconscious of the harm done till some time 

 has elapsed. The jjlace swells, splits ojjcn, and becomes very bad, 

 afi'ecting even the face of the sufferer. Few doctors can cure it. He 

 who can relieve the patient pretends to extract pieces of grass from 

 the neck, and then the person begins to recover. The people are so 

 afraid of gophers that they go around the camp with their hands over 

 their jaws. No one dares to go near a gopher hill except he or she be a 

 mysterious person. Such a one can go near it and even touch it with 

 impunity, as he has different remedies at his command. 



CAUSES OF BOILS AND SORES. 



§ 29G. Whoever gets into the habit of eatiijg the large intestine of 

 cattle, known as the tasiyaka, is sure to " be hit by a siyaka," (. e., he 

 will have a boil.' Siyaka is the name of the grebe or dabchick, but 

 what connection there is between the bird and the boil has not been 

 learned. The boil will be on some covered part of the body, not on the 

 hands or face. The Teton fear to go outside of their lodges at night 

 lest the cause of boils be blown to them. If a man eats the liver of a 

 female dog, or if a woman eats that of a male dog, the face of the 

 offender will break out in sores. 



' See Contr. to N. A. Ethn. vol. i.y, pp. 146, 149. 



