154 THE MENOMINI INDIANS [eth.ann.H 



peculiar medical practices of tbe Indians, and the implements and other 

 accessories employed in connection with their profession. He related 

 the following incident as having, but a short time previously, come 

 under his personal observation : 



One of the. members of his church, a Norwegian, G2 years of age, and 

 a widower, had for the last preceding year been considered by most of 

 the residents as demented. The missionary himself had observed his 

 erratic and frequently irrational conduct, and was impressed with the 

 probable truth of the prevailing rumor. One morning, however, as the 

 missionary was seated in his study, he was surprised at receiving a very 

 early call, and upon invitation his visitor took a seat and explained the 

 object of his visit. He said that for a year he had been so disturbed 

 in his peace of mind that he now came to seek advice. He was fully 

 aware of the common report respecting his conduct, but was utterly 

 unable to control himself, and attributed the cause of his unfortunate 

 condition to an occurrence of the year before. On waking one morn- 

 ing his thoughts were unwillingly concentrated on an Indian woman 

 with whom he had no personal acquaintance whatever, and, notwith- 

 standing the absurdity of the impression, he was unable to cast it aside. 

 After breakfast lie was, by some inexplicable influence, compelled to 

 call upon her, and to introduce himself, and although he expected to be 

 able to avoid repeating the visit, he never had sufficient control over 

 himself to resist lurking in the vicinity of her habitation. 



On his return home, after the first visit, he discovered lying upon 

 the floor under his bed a mule' sack, which contained some small par- 

 cels with which he was unfamiliar, but was afterward told that one of 

 them consisted of "love powder." He stated that he had grown chil- 

 dren, and the idea of marrying again was out of the question, not only 

 on their account but because he was now too old. The missionary rea- 

 soned with him and suggested a course of procedure, the result of 

 which had not been learned when the incident was related. 



The Menomini love powder, termed takosa'wos, "the powder that 

 causes people to love one another," is composed of vermilion and mica 

 lamina 1 , ground very fine and put into a thimble which is carried sus- 

 pended from the neck or from some part of the wearing apparel. It is 

 necessary, however, to secure from the one whose affection is desired 

 a hair, a finger paring, or some small scrap of clothing, which must 

 also be put into the thimble. The thimble has a small orifice at the 

 top through which passes a cord for attaching it to the neck, while the 

 bottom is securely closed by means of a block of wood, some pine resin, 

 or some other substance. Figure 22 represents a charm of this char- 

 acter. It is also decorated with a few hairs of some animal and a small 

 hawk feather. In former times, it is affirmed, the composition of the 

 powder was similar to that made by the Ojibwa of Minnesota, the most 

 desirable ingredient having always to be obtained through the inter- 

 mediary of some old medicine woman. 



