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  SACRED 
  FORMULAS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CHEROKEES. 
  

  

  Their 
  ignorance 
  of 
  the 
  true 
  medical 
  principles 
  involved 
  is 
  shown 
  

   by 
  the 
  regulations 
  prescribed 
  for 
  the 
  patient 
  With 
  the 
  exception 
  

   of 
  the 
  fasting-, 
  no 
  sanitary 
  precautions 
  are 
  taken 
  to 
  aid 
  in 
  the 
  re- 
  

   covery 
  of 
  the 
  sick 
  man 
  or 
  to 
  contribute 
  to 
  his 
  comfort. 
  Even 
  the 
  

   fasting 
  is 
  as 
  much 
  religious 
  as 
  sanative, 
  for 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  where 
  it 
  

   is 
  prescribed 
  the 
  doctor 
  also 
  must 
  abstain 
  from 
  food 
  until 
  sunset, 
  

   just 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Catholic 
  church 
  both 
  priest 
  and 
  communicants 
  remain 
  

   fasting 
  from 
  midnight 
  until 
  after 
  the 
  celebration 
  of 
  the 
  divine 
  mys- 
  

   teries. 
  As 
  the 
  Indian 
  cuisine 
  is 
  extremely 
  limited, 
  no 
  delicate 
  or 
  

   appetizing 
  dishes 
  are 
  prepared 
  for 
  the 
  patient, 
  who 
  partakes 
  of 
  the 
  

   same 
  heavy, 
  sodden 
  cornmeal 
  dumplings 
  and 
  bean 
  bread 
  which 
  form 
  

   his 
  principal 
  food 
  in 
  health. 
  In 
  most 
  cases 
  certain 
  kinds 
  of 
  food 
  are 
  

   prohibited, 
  such 
  as 
  squirrel 
  meat, 
  fish, 
  turkey, 
  etc.; 
  but 
  the 
  reason 
  

   is 
  not 
  that 
  such 
  food 
  is 
  considered 
  deleterious 
  to 
  health, 
  as 
  we 
  un- 
  

   derstand 
  it, 
  but 
  because 
  of 
  some 
  fanciful 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  disease 
  

   spirit. 
  Thus 
  if 
  squirrels 
  have 
  caused 
  the 
  illness 
  the 
  patient 
  must 
  not 
  

   eat 
  squirrel 
  meat. 
  If 
  the 
  disease 
  be 
  rheumatism, 
  he 
  must 
  not 
  eat 
  the 
  

   leg 
  of 
  any 
  animal, 
  because 
  the 
  limbs 
  are 
  generally 
  the 
  seat 
  of 
  this 
  

   malady. 
  Lye, 
  salt, 
  and 
  hot 
  food 
  are 
  always 
  forbidden 
  when 
  there 
  is 
  

   any 
  prohibition 
  at 
  all 
  ; 
  but 
  here 
  again, 
  in 
  nine 
  cases 
  out 
  of 
  ten, 
  the 
  regu- 
  

   lation, 
  instead 
  of 
  being 
  beneficial, 
  serves 
  only 
  to 
  add 
  to 
  his 
  discom- 
  

   fort. 
  Lye 
  enters 
  into 
  almost 
  all 
  the 
  food 
  preparations 
  of 
  the 
  Chero- 
  

   kees, 
  the 
  alkaline 
  potash 
  taking 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  salt, 
  which 
  is 
  seldom 
  

   used 
  among 
  them, 
  having 
  been 
  introduced 
  by 
  the 
  whites. 
  Their 
  

   bean 
  and 
  chestnut 
  bread, 
  cornmeal 
  dumplings, 
  hominy, 
  and 
  gruel 
  

   are 
  all 
  boiled 
  in 
  a 
  pot, 
  all 
  contain 
  lye, 
  and 
  are 
  all, 
  excepting 
  the 
  last, 
  

   served 
  up 
  hot 
  from 
  the 
  fh'e. 
  When 
  cold 
  their 
  bread 
  is 
  about 
  as 
  hard 
  

   and 
  tasteless 
  as 
  a 
  lump 
  of 
  yesterday's 
  dough, 
  and 
  to 
  condemn 
  a 
  sick 
  

   man 
  to 
  a 
  diet 
  of 
  such 
  dyspeptic 
  food, 
  eaten 
  cold 
  without 
  even 
  a 
  pinch 
  

   of 
  salt 
  to 
  give 
  it 
  a 
  relish, 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  sufficient 
  to 
  kill 
  him 
  with- 
  

   out 
  any 
  further 
  aid 
  from 
  the 
  doctor. 
  The 
  salt 
  or 
  lye 
  so 
  strictly 
  pro- 
  

   hibited 
  is 
  really 
  a 
  tonic 
  and 
  appetizer, 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  diseases 
  acts 
  with 
  

   curative 
  effect. 
  So 
  much 
  for 
  the 
  health 
  regimen. 
  

  

  In 
  serious 
  cases 
  the 
  patient 
  is 
  secluded 
  and 
  no 
  strangers 
  are 
  alb 
  iwed 
  

   to 
  enter 
  the 
  house. 
  On 
  first 
  thought 
  this 
  would 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  genu- 
  

   ine 
  sanitary 
  precaution 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  securing 
  rest 
  and 
  quiet 
  to 
  

   the 
  sick 
  man. 
  Such, 
  however, 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  case. 
  The 
  necessity 
  for 
  

   quiet 
  has 
  probably 
  never 
  occurred 
  to 
  the 
  Cherokee 
  doctor, 
  and 
  this 
  

   regulation 
  is 
  intended 
  simply 
  to 
  prevent 
  any 
  direct 
  or 
  indirect 
  con- 
  

   tact 
  with 
  a 
  woman 
  in 
  a 
  pregnant 
  or 
  menstrual 
  condition. 
  Among 
  

   all 
  primitive 
  nations, 
  including 
  the 
  ancient 
  Hebrews, 
  we 
  find 
  an 
  

   elaborate 
  code 
  of 
  rules 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  conduct 
  and 
  treatment 
  of 
  

   women 
  on 
  arriving 
  at 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  puberty, 
  during 
  pregnancy 
  and 
  the 
  

   menstrual 
  periods, 
  and 
  at 
  childbirth. 
  Among 
  the 
  Cherokees 
  the 
  

   presence 
  of 
  a 
  woman 
  under 
  any 
  of 
  these 
  conditions, 
  or 
  even 
  the 
  pres- 
  

   ence 
  of 
  any 
  one 
  who 
  has 
  come 
  from 
  a 
  house 
  where 
  such 
  a 
  woman 
  

  

  