﻿fletcher-la 
  flesche] 
  DISEASE 
  AND 
  ITS 
  TREATMENT 
  585 
  

  

  The 
  root 
  of 
  the 
  vine 
  ( 
  'ucurMta 
  pt 
  n 
  nnis 
  (n 
  i'kasMgamo 
  n 
  lco 
  n 
  , 
  " 
  human 
  

   medicine," 
  so 
  called 
  because 
  the 
  root 
  was 
  said 
  to 
  resemble 
  the 
  human 
  

   form) 
  was 
  used 
  medicinally. 
  The 
  root, 
  pulverized 
  and 
  mixed 
  with 
  

   water, 
  was 
  taken 
  for 
  pains. 
  Only 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  root 
  which 
  cor- 
  

   responded 
  to 
  the 
  seat 
  of 
  the 
  pain 
  was 
  used; 
  that 
  is, 
  if 
  the 
  pain 
  

   was 
  in 
  the 
  head, 
  body, 
  or 
  leg, 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  root 
  resembling 
  the 
  

   particular 
  part 
  affected 
  was 
  taken, 
  etc. 
  This 
  root 
  was 
  used 
  also 
  in 
  

   protracted 
  labor. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  many 
  other 
  plants 
  and 
  roots 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  Omaha 
  as 
  

   having 
  medicinal 
  qualities 
  which 
  wore 
  used 
  by 
  men 
  and 
  women 
  

   of 
  the 
  tribe 
  when 
  attending 
  the 
  sick, 
  but 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  impossible 
  to 
  

   obtain 
  full 
  knowledge 
  of 
  them. 
  It 
  can 
  be 
  safely 
  said 
  that, 
  on 
  the 
  

   whole, 
  medicinal 
  remedies 
  were 
  more 
  frequently 
  resorted 
  to 
  in 
  the 
  

   case 
  of 
  sickness 
  than 
  magical 
  practices. 
  In 
  almost 
  every 
  instance, 
  

   however, 
  the 
  remedy 
  was 
  accompanied 
  by 
  its 
  appropriate 
  formula 
  of 
  

   song 
  or 
  ritual. 
  

  

  Fees 
  were 
  always 
  expected 
  by 
  the 
  doctor 
  called 
  to 
  attend 
  the 
  sick 
  

   or 
  the 
  injured." 
  

  

  The 
  pleasure 
  taken 
  in 
  swimming 
  has 
  been 
  mentioned: 
  this, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  was 
  apart 
  from 
  bathing. 
  In 
  summer 
  the 
  bath 
  was 
  taken 
  in 
  a 
  

   stream, 
  and 
  afterward 
  the 
  body 
  was 
  rubbed 
  and 
  dried 
  with 
  sprays 
  

   of 
  artemisia. 
  In 
  winter 
  both 
  men 
  and 
  women 
  erected 
  small 
  tents 
  

   in 
  which 
  they 
  bathed 
  in 
  warm 
  water. 
  This 
  was 
  not 
  the 
  sweat 
  bath. 
  

   That 
  kind 
  of 
  bath 
  was 
  always 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  ceremonial, 
  indulged 
  in 
  

   for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  healing, 
  to 
  avert 
  disaster, 
  or 
  to 
  prepare 
  one's 
  self 
  

   for 
  some 
  ceremony 
  or 
  duty. 
  A 
  framework 
  of 
  slender 
  poles 
  was 
  bent 
  

   so 
  as 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  small 
  dome-shaped 
  frame; 
  this 
  was 
  covered 
  tight 
  

   with 
  skins. 
  Stones 
  were 
  heated 
  over 
  a 
  fire 
  and 
  then 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  

   center 
  of 
  the 
  tent. 
  Sweat 
  baths 
  were 
  not 
  usually 
  taken 
  alone, 
  

   although 
  this 
  was 
  done 
  occasionally. 
  The 
  bathers 
  entered, 
  carrying 
  

   with 
  them 
  a 
  vessel 
  of 
  water. 
  The 
  coverings 
  were 
  then 
  made 
  fast 
  and 
  

   the 
  inmates, 
  with 
  ritual 
  or 
  with 
  song, 
  sprinkled 
  the 
  water 
  on 
  the 
  

   heated 
  stones 
  and 
  sat 
  in 
  the 
  steam. 
  After 
  a 
  sufficient 
  sweat 
  had 
  

   been 
  experienced 
  they 
  emerged 
  and 
  plunged 
  into 
  cold 
  water, 
  after 
  

   which 
  they 
  rubbed 
  themselves 
  dry 
  with 
  artemisia 
  or 
  grass. 
  Both 
  

   men 
  and 
  women 
  took 
  sweat 
  baths 
  but 
  not 
  together; 
  these 
  were 
  

   employed 
  to 
  relieve 
  headache, 
  rheumatism, 
  weariness, 
  snow-blindness, 
  

   or 
  any 
  bodily 
  ailment. 
  If 
  a 
  person 
  had 
  been 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  dreams 
  

   betokening 
  his 
  approaching 
  death, 
  a 
  priest 
  was 
  summoned. 
  The 
  

  

  a 
  The 
  word 
  meaning 
  payment 
  lor 
  services, 
  as 
  when 
  one 
  hires 
  another 
  to 
  do 
  a 
  certain 
  thing, 
  is 
  

   wawe'shi, 
  such 
  payment 
  being 
  contingent 
  on 
  the 
  service 
  being 
  actually 
  performed. 
  The 
  word 
  employed 
  

   to 
  designate 
  fees 
  paid 
  a 
  doctor 
  is 
  wao'i'the 
  (o'i'tlia, 
  "to 
  throw 
  away), 
  "things 
  thrown 
  away;" 
  Hie 
  fees 
  

   paid 
  a 
  doctor 
  are 
  to 
  remunerate 
  services 
  thai 
  may 
  or 
  may 
  not 
  bring 
  about 
  the 
  desired 
  result 
  and 
  

   Iherefore 
  the 
  fees 
  are 
  as 
  things 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  counted 
  lost. 
  The 
  term 
  waon'tkt 
  is 
  applied 
  to 
  feespaid 
  

   for 
  admission 
  to 
  membership 
  in 
  the 
  secret 
  societies 
  and 
  also 
  to 
  the 
  payment 
  made 
  for 
  knowledge 
  of 
  

   medicinal 
  r 
  oots, 
  etc. 
  

  

  