BDSSEix] CAUSE AND TREATMKNT OF DISEASE 261 



nouiKH'd the verdict of death. Poor Sala had l)een compelled to lie 

 quiet to avoiil the torture from the "pins" hut her mind was active 

 and she imderstood every word that was said in her presence. Deter- 

 mined to do what they could, the last two arrivals set to work sin<;inf;;. 

 Number three san<; four songs, followed by four more songs from 

 number four. Then number three sang four more, and so they 

 alternated all night. Toward morning they put ashes into a cup of 

 water, sweeping eagle feathers across the dish meanwhile. They 

 then announced that they would get the evil out soon. Number 

 four sprayed water from his mouth over the patient and declared 

 that he had found her to be sufl'ering from the presence of the luirn 

 of a homed toad in her heart. Falling on his knees beside her he 

 sucked with all his might until he hiid removed the offending object. 

 As it flew into his mouth it gagged him and he hastened to withdraw 

 it. Calling for a piece of cotton he put the hot and burning horn 

 into it and told the Itrother of the patient to throw it into the river. 

 Then the two Si'atcokam sang twice and later in the day sang twice 

 through their set of four songs for the homed toad. This faithfxd 

 treatment brought about a recovery. 



Sala's brother fell ill of some throat disease over which the doctors 

 sang, sucked, and smoked for a month before he died. 



It will be seen from the cases described that the songs play an 

 important part in the treatment, and they are sung with endless 

 repetitions. After the cause of the affliction has been decided upon 

 the songs of that animal or object are sung. An image or a part of 

 the animal or ol)ject is pressed upon or waved over the part affected 

 and then the farce of sucking out the evil is gone through. Juan 

 Thomas informed the \\Titer that he had frequently concealed under 

 his thiunl) nail the objects which he pretended to suck from his 

 patients. 



Sometimes ashes are rubbed upon the skin of the sick person. No 

 matter what the disease may be, the ashes are administered with light 

 rubbing. No explanation could be given for this treatment. For 

 any disease, also, pledgets of cotton might be burned on the skin, and 

 as these were half an inch in diameter and two or three might be 

 burned in one place, the effect must have been very painful. 



The female Si'atcokam never treated children; they confined their 

 labors to the treatment of abdonunal troul)ies not necessarily peculiar 

 to sex. They treated men for abdominal difficulties and men treated 

 women for all diseases. 



Payment is promised to the Si'atcokam when they are called in. It 

 may be a horse, cow, some wheat, a basket, or similar property. If 

 he contracts to sing three nights and to receive a horse in payment. 

 he will not receive the horse if the patient dies after he has sung two 



