DENIG] THE ASSINTBOIN 425 



ture tolerably well, and even replace a dislocated shoulder, which 

 they do by pulling and outward pressure from the armpit, but this 

 knowledge is not confined to the divining man nor is it his business 

 more than any other who happens to be present. Most men of 

 middle age have witnessed so many accidents of the kind that they 

 can do this. 



They are, however, unacquainted with the circulation of the blood 

 and with any judicious treatment of internal diseases, for all of 

 which they resort to incantations and drumming. They do, however, 

 indiscriminately use the vapor bath or sweat house for various 

 complaints. This construction is a small lodge thrown over a basket- 

 work of willow's stuck in the ground and bent in an oval or round 

 form, the skins well pinned down and every aperture well closed. 

 The doctor after heating some large stones red hot and putting them 

 into the lodge enters with the patient, both entirely naked and taking 

 along a kettle of water and. as usual, his drum. The lodge is then 

 shut tight by the people on the outside. A brisk singing and drum- 

 ming is kept up in the lodge by the doctor, who at intervals throws 

 water on the stones and steam is raised. A violent heat and perspira- 

 tion takes place, which they endure as long as they can; as soon as 

 the patient is taken out he is immersed in cold water, which in nine 

 cases out of ten results in his death. In this way the Crow Indians 

 lost nearly 200 persons three years since during a prevailing 

 influenza. The Mandan and Gros Ventres, however, being accustomed 

 to cold bathing from their youth, are said seldom to suffer any incon- 

 venience but often receive benefit from the vapor bath and immediate 

 cold immersion. They have no names for fevers, consumptions, 

 obstructions of the liver, etc., and can not explain further than by 

 pointing out that part of their body which is in a state of pain. 



Indeed, in this climate, except consumption, rheumatism and 

 quinsy, diseases are extremely rare; and no febrile symptoms seen 

 except in cases of wounds anil parturition when puerperal fever often 

 occurs, and assuming a typhoid form is generally fatal. They are 

 also exempt from paralysis, toothache, and almost all the thousand 

 nervous complaints to which the whites are subject, among which 

 might be mentioned baldness or failure of eyesight from age. Their 

 materia medica is consequently in a very primitive state. They 

 have no medicine except some roots, some of which are known to 

 be good for the bite of the rattlesnake, frozen parts, and inflam- 

 matory wounds. The principal of these is the black root, called by 

 i hem the comb root (pi. 67, a), from the pod on the top being com- 

 posed of a stiff surface that can be used as a comb. It is called by the 

 French racine noir. and grows everywhere in the prairie throughout 

 the Indian country. It is chewed and applied in a raw state with a 



88253°— 30 28 



