424 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [bth. ann. 46 



of long duration, the whole of the property of the relatives of the 

 sick person falls to the doctor and his assistants, who are also slightly 

 paid for the music. And this is the cause of great individual dis- 

 tress and poverty, though the property given does not go out of the 

 nation, but only changes hands and is liable in like manner to revert 

 to others should the divining man fall sick. In case, after all, the 

 patient dies, it is then the doctor who is in danger, and runs great 

 risk of losing his life, by the parents or relatives of the deceased. 

 Indeed, being aware of this they generally abscond to other camps 

 when death approaches, and whatever property they leave behind 

 is taken from them. No later than last winter the writer paid an 

 Indian to prevent his killing the " Bull's Dry Bones " (doctor) who 

 the man said had poisoned his two children six years ago. But the 

 old doctor, although a humbug, is an innocent man and would harm 

 no one. 



They have various forms of doctoring, in all of which the drum 

 forms a principal figure, and songs and incantations, all of which 

 are most religiously believed in by the Indians. Old women are 

 as often practitioners as old men and of as great celebrity. There 

 is also another reason why these Indians give away so much of their 

 property to the divining man. Independent of these payments 

 securing the doctor's services, they are considered as sacrifices; that 

 is, the man makes himself poor with a view of propitiating the Great 

 Spirit. 



Also it is considered and spoken of as a great honor to give away 

 large articles to the divining man, such as horses, guns, etc., and 

 goes to prove the affection with which they regard their sick rela- 

 tives. For a long time afterwards the giver will boast of his liberal- 

 ity in these respects and is also looked upon as a man with a " large 

 heart." We must, at the risk of not being believed, state that on 

 two particular occasions, and before witnesses, we have examined 

 the divining man's mouth, hands, and all his person, which was 

 entirely naked, with the view of discovering where these worms, 

 snakes, etc., were hidden, and that these examinations were made 

 without any previous intimations to him who, never having been 

 subject to examinations of the kind by Indians, was completely unpre- 

 pared for the trial, yet he acquiesced cheerfully, afterwards continued 

 his performance, and repeated it in our presence, drawing and 

 spitting out large worms, clots of blood, tufts of hair, skin, etc., too 

 large to be easily secreted, and leaving no visible mark on the 

 patient's body. The trick was well done and not yet known to any 

 of us. 



Their knowledge of anatomy consists in being acquainted with the 

 larger bones and joints. They can set a broken arm or simple frac- 



