266 BELIEFS AND USAGES OF CHICKASAW [WTH. ANN. 44 
cunning old physicians or prophets would not undertake to cure them, in order 
to inflame the people to execute the former resolution; being jealous of 
encroachments and afraid the cattle would spoil their open cornfields; upon 
which account, the traders’ arguments had no weight with these red Hebrew 
philosophers. But fortunately one of their head warriors had a few cattle soon 
presented to him to keep off the wolf; and his reasoning proved so weighty as 
to alter their resolution and produce in them a contrary belief.“ 
My principal informant on the subject of medicine, himself a 
doctor, was acquainted with the following diseases and the remedies 
used for them: 
Sinti abcha, “ snake sickness.” Symptoms: The patient’s stomach 
is out of order, he has fever, and his legs are unusually warm up as 
far as the knees. Remedy: There was a single herb used in curing 
this disease, and it was effective with no other, but my informant 
knew no name for it in Chickasaw or English. 
Ofe abcka, “ dog disease.” Symptoms: The patient vomits con- 
tinually, is unable to keep anything on his stomach. Remedy: An 
herb growing on the prairie having a yellow flower, for which the 
doctor knew no name. 
Tsi abéha, “deer disease.” Symptoms: The jaws and adjacent 
parts of the face swell up and sometimes there is toothache. Rem- 
edy: A third herb with unknown name, or failing that, a certain 
bush. 
Sinté homa abéka, “red snake disease.” Symptoms: The legs, 
arms, or other parts of the body draw up, sometimes to the extent 
of breaking the back. Remedy: “A vine called sarsaparilla,” 
growing along creeks and having yellow flowers. 
Tyaganaca abcka, “Little people’s disease.” Symptoms: The 
patient is out of his head, talks incoherently, and sometimes falls to 
the ground like an epileptic. Remedy: The root of the huckleberry 
(osik’Oktci). 
Holabi abcha,* head sickness.” *°* Symptoms: Headache and some- 
times nosebleed. Remedy: The roots of the red willow (hahtok), and 
if that can not be found, the roots of the black locust (kate tsa). 
Nacoba abéka, “wolf disease.” Symptoms: A pain on the left 
side which moves upward into the chest and causes the patient to 
vomit. Remedy: A weed called Nita nacodba (bear-wolf) which 
grows on the prairie. 
Nita abéha, * bear sickness.” Symptoms: Pains in the abdomen, 
sometimes extending through the entire body, and loose bowels. 
Remedy: The bark of a tree called foshapa (“which birds eat”). 
While there are a few of these trees near Red River, there are not 
many in the Chickasaw Nation as a whole, but it is plentiful in the 
Choctaw Nation. 
% Adair, Hist. Am. Inds., p. 132. 
sa There seems to have been some mistake here. J/dlabi means ‘“ to lie,” or “a lie’; 
head is nushkobo. 
