STEVENSON] MEDICAL PRACTICE 391 



ture of pinon gum, kernels of sciuash seeds, and mutton grease, and a 

 cotton bandage of many thicknesses was wrapped around the body. 

 The writer, wishing to render such relief as was possible, called upon 

 Doctor Wood, of the Indian Service, who had been sent from the 

 Indian school at Albuquerque to treat diphtheria/' 



After a short call upon the child the doctor left her to visit the diph- 

 theria patients while the writer attended to having the wound cleansed 

 for his inspection. The work assigned her was not an easy task. The 

 parents of the child, who were in great distress over her sutfering, 

 were ready to obey instructions, but other members of the family 

 feared to give offense to the doctor who was treating her. Their 

 opposition was finally overcome by the suggesCion that the Zufii and 

 American doctors meet and discuss the case. The father of the inva- 

 lid at once hastened for the medicine man, who, on his arrival, made 

 positive objection to any interference on the part of the American 

 doctor. His scruples were overcome, however, and he placed the 

 little sufferer over his knee, face downward. A doctress who was 

 present heated water, and the process of cleansing the wound began. 

 After applying the crushed kernels of squash seeds moistened in the 

 mouth to softtMi the pinon gum, the doctor inserted his forefinger into 

 the wound and drew out the gum. Some time was required to remove 

 all of the packing, and a heart of stone would have ])een touched at 

 the sound of the feeble moans and cries of the child. It seemed as 

 if she must succumb to the supreme agony. Doctor Wood on his 

 return found that the wound had been thoroughly freed of the gum 

 and bathed with warm water and soap. He knew that the patient 

 was beyond even temporary improvement and that all he could 

 hope to do was to make the remaining hours as comfortable as possi- 

 ble He sprinkled the wound with l)oracic acid and wrapped it with 

 aseptic gauze. After a time a faint smile l)rightened the face of the 

 sufferer as she whispered to the writer: - I feel as if I had never l>een 

 sick the pain is so little now." And so this little soldier, who had 

 endured so much, lay in comparative comfort and peace for two days, 

 when she fell into her everlasting sleep, leaving her - ^^ ashington 

 mother " to tell of her beauty of person and soul. . , , • 



Another interesting case of primitive surgery was that of a Uopi 

 Indian who had been married many years to a Zuni woman He fell 

 from a wagon and broke his left jaw. The inferior maxillary bone 

 was removed, leaving a fistular opening in the cheek opposite the lobe 

 of the ear, the rim of the opening having completely cicatrized when 



would hiUe to part witli her. 



