﻿XII 
  

   DISEASE 
  AND 
  ITS 
  TREATMENT 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  Omaha 
  hygienic 
  and 
  physiologic 
  laws 
  were 
  practically 
  

   unknown. 
  Even 
  the 
  contagious 
  character 
  of 
  some 
  diseases 
  was 
  not 
  

   recognized. 
  It 
  was 
  this 
  fact 
  that 
  made 
  the 
  scourge 
  of 
  smallpox 
  so 
  

   severe, 
  and 
  later 
  measles 
  laid 
  hold 
  of 
  old 
  and 
  young, 
  with 
  a 
  virulence 
  

   unknown 
  to 
  our 
  own 
  comparatively 
  immune 
  race. 
  Disease 
  was 
  

   regarded 
  as 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  of 
  a 
  mystery; 
  sometimes 
  but 
  not 
  always 
  

   magic 
  was 
  held 
  to 
  be 
  responsible 
  for 
  sickness, 
  but 
  it 
  alone 
  was 
  not 
  

   depended 
  on 
  to 
  insure 
  a 
  cure. 
  Herbs 
  and 
  roots 
  were 
  used 
  for 
  medic- 
  

   inal 
  purposes, 
  but 
  in 
  gathering 
  and 
  administering 
  these, 
  certain 
  

   formulas 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  used. 
  These 
  formulas 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  a 
  

   prayer 
  to 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  and 
  an 
  invocation 
  to 
  the 
  power 
  dwelling 
  in 
  the 
  

   healing 
  herb, 
  calling 
  on 
  it 
  to 
  become 
  curatively 
  active. 
  The 
  knowl- 
  

   edge 
  of 
  such 
  plants 
  and 
  roots 
  and 
  of 
  their 
  ritual 
  songs 
  and 
  how 
  to 
  

   apply 
  them 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  purchased, 
  as 
  a 
  high 
  value 
  was 
  placed 
  on 
  such 
  

   knowledge. 
  After 
  payment 
  the 
  purchaser 
  was 
  shown 
  the 
  proper 
  

   plant 
  and 
  directed 
  to 
  its 
  locality, 
  he 
  was 
  taught 
  the 
  songs 
  used 
  when 
  

   gathering 
  it 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  songs 
  to 
  be 
  sung 
  when 
  it 
  was 
  administered. 
  

   No 
  one 
  individual 
  knew 
  all 
  the 
  medicinal 
  plants. 
  Treatment 
  of 
  

   disease 
  was 
  specialized, 
  so 
  to 
  speak, 
  one 
  person 
  curing 
  hemorrhages, 
  

   another 
  fever, 
  and 
  so 
  on. 
  

  

  Bleeding 
  was 
  commonly 
  employed 
  in 
  treating 
  ailments; 
  for 
  this 
  

   purpose 
  gashes 
  between 
  the 
  eyebrows 
  were 
  made 
  with 
  a 
  flint 
  knife 
  

   or 
  cupping 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  was 
  effected 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  a 
  horn. 
  

   A 
  species 
  of 
  massage 
  was 
  also 
  employed. 
  The 
  influence 
  caused 
  by 
  

   the 
  presence 
  of 
  women 
  about 
  a 
  wounded 
  person 
  was 
  deemed 
  to 
  be 
  

   unfavorable; 
  this 
  influence 
  (wa'ihite) 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  

   vital 
  functions 
  of 
  woman. 
  A 
  similar 
  influence 
  was 
  thought 
  to 
  arise 
  

   by 
  binding 
  a 
  wound, 
  even 
  in 
  an 
  emergency, 
  with 
  anything 
  that 
  had 
  

   been 
  near 
  the 
  genital 
  organs 
  of 
  a 
  man. 
  

  

  Herbs 
  were 
  used 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  treatment 
  of 
  disease 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  healing 
  wounds. 
  That 
  success 
  often 
  attended 
  the 
  cure 
  of 
  

   wounds 
  and 
  other 
  injuries 
  is 
  well 
  known. 
  How 
  the 
  Buffalo 
  society 
  

   treated 
  wounds 
  has 
  been 
  described 
  (p. 
  487). 
  As 
  all 
  medical 
  aid 
  was 
  

   given 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  ceremony 
  and 
  with 
  songs 
  accompanied 
  by 
  the 
  

   beating 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  drum, 
  these 
  noises 
  evidently 
  exercised 
  a 
  psychical 
  

   582 
  

  

  