SWANTON] DOCTORING AND MEDICINES 263 
their faces with large pieces of gourds of different shapes and hieroglyphic 
paintings. Some of them fix a pair of young buffalo horns to their head; others 
the tail, behind. When the dance and their time is expired, the men turn out a 
hunting, and bring in a sufficient quantity of venison, for the feast of renewing 
their love, and confirming their friendship with each other. The women dress it, 
and bring the best they have along with it; which a few springs past, was only a 
variety of Esau’s small red acorn pottage, as their crops had failed. When 
they have eaten together, they fix in the ground a large pole with a bush tied 
at the top, over which they throw a ball. Till the corn is in, they meet there 
almost every day, and play for venison and cakes, the men against the women ; 
which the old people say they have observed for time out of mind.” 
DOCTORING AND MEDICINES 
The doctors mentioned in connection with the Pishofa ceremony 
seem to have had official positions in the clan or house group similar 
to that enjoyed by the priestly class among the Creeks. This is 
plainly indicated by the subjoined quotation from Adair: 
Ishtohoollo is the name of all their priestly order, and their pontifical office 
descends by inheritance to the eldest: those friend-towns, which are firmly con- 
federated in their exercises and plays, never have more than one Archi-magus 
at a time. ... They, who have the least knowledge of Indian affairs, know, 
that the martial virtues of the savages, obtains them titles of distinction; but 
yet their old men, who could searcely correct their transgressing wives, much 
less go to war, and perform those difficult exercises, that are esentially needful 
in an active warrior, are often promoted to the pontifical dignity, and have great 
power over the people, by the pretended sanctity of the office.” 
Elsewhere he speaks of a national high priest. “The title of the 
old beloved men, or archimagi, is still hereditary in the panther or 
tyger family.’** Tt would seem that these priests were forced to 
undergo a special fast and purification before taking their posts. 
The Indian priests and prophets are initiated by unction. The Chikkasah 
some time ago set apart some of their old men of the religious order. They first 
obliged them to sweat themselves for the space of three days and nights, in a 
small green hut, made on purpose, at a considerable distance from any dvell- 
ing; through a scrupulous fear of contracting pollution by contact, or from the 
efiluyia of polluted people—and a strong desire of secreting their religious 
mysteries. During that interval, they are allowed to eat nothing but green 
tobacco, nor to drink anything except warm water, highly imbittered with the 
button snakeroot, to cleanse their bodies, and prepare them to serve in their 
holy, or beloved office, before the divine essence, whom during this preparation 
they constantly invoke by his essential name, as before described. After which, 
their priestly garments and ornaments, mentioned under a former argument, 
page 84, are put on, and then bear’s oil is poured upon their head.” 
Regarding the practice of Chickasaw doctors in general, the same 
writer says: 
When the Indian physicians visit their supposed irreligious patients they 
approach them in a bending posture, with their rattling calabash, preferring 
= Adair, Hist. Am. Inds., pp. 113-114. “ Tbid., p. 31. 
“Tbid., p. 81. = Ibid., p. 122. 
