DBNIO] THE ASSIXIBOIN 423 



much, knew everything, past, present, and future, and from this 

 circumstance he has ever after l>een considered a great divining man 

 and prophet. We will now state how they proceed in case of sick- 

 ness. A child falls sick. The father or some other near relative 

 immediately sends a gun or a horse to the divining man to secure 

 his services. Sometimes smaller articles are sent, and the doctor, 

 thinking them beneath his notice, will not pay a visit until enough 

 is offered, which amount varies in proportion as the patient's rela- 

 tives are rich or poor. He then enters the lodge of the sick person 

 in his medical capacity. His instruments are a drum, a chi-chi-quoin, 

 or gourd rattle, and, perhaps, a horn cupping apparatus. He must 

 have (although not perceptible) some things concealed in his mouth 

 or about his person, as will presently appear, although they go 

 usually through their operations entirely naked (except the breech- 

 cloth) and not in a hideous costume as has been represented. The 

 doctor is accompanied by five or six others as old and ugly as him- 

 self, bearing drums, bells, rattles, and other noisy instruments. 



All sing to the extent of their voices and make a terrible noise with 

 the instruments spoken of. The doctor slowly approaches the 

 patient, applying his mouth to his naked breast or belly, draws or 

 appears to draw therefrom by suction a worm, sometimes a bug, a 

 wolf hair, or even a small snake, making at the same time horrible 

 gestures, grunts, and grimaces. This object he displays to the 

 lookers-on. stating he has extracted the cause of the disease. This 

 operation is repeated several times with like results, and after he and 

 the accompanying band of music partake largely of a dog or other 

 feast provided for them they leave for the time. The whole per- 

 formance, with the music, incantations, preparations, and feast in- 

 cluded, would occupy perhaps from two to three hours and often the 

 whole night, if the performers are paid high. Frequently their 

 diseases are colic from eating unripe fruits and berries or over- 

 loading the stomach, which, of course, get well in a short time and 

 the credit is given to the doctor, each recovery aiding to raise his 

 reputation and enlarge his practice. But if the case is serious and 

 the patient gets worse, the doctor is then paid again and another visit 

 takes place. The forms are always somewhat similar, but on this 

 occasion, in addition to the full band of music and cupping with the 

 horn, besides the usual grimaces, noises, etc., the patient is made to 

 drink decoctions of roots or powders made by the doctors of 

 pulverized roots, rattles of the rattlesnake, calcined bones, etc., the 

 properties of which he is entirely ignorant, and probably the sniall- 

 ness of the dose preventing them from doing any harm. This, with 

 the noise of the instruments and feast, concludes the second visit. 



Sometimes the doctor performs alone and keeps up the drumming, 

 etc., all night. In this way by a repetition of visits, if the case is 



