286 THE MENOMINI INDIANS [eth.ans.14 



ing the jtatient are administered. Such "remedies'' may also be forced 

 into the victim whom it is desirable to remove from one's presence, and 

 are then erroneously termed poisoned. On this theory many decoc- 

 tions have been reputed to be poisonous. 



The hair of the tail of the blacktail deer has been used in a manner 

 similar to that in which cactus spines are used, for producing abortion. 

 The hair is chopped fine, then mixed with the fat of a bear's paw. and 

 administered. Gastric irritation follows, leading, possibly, to uterine 

 contraction, and the ultimate expulsiou of the foetus. The Indian's 

 explanation is, however, that the flue spicules of hair act like magic 

 arrows, dart forward in the body in pursuit of the life of that which it 

 is desirable to overcome, with the result iudicated. 



It also has been stated that the blowgun was used in former times 

 by Indians of North America, but its darts were not poisoned, as by the 

 tribes of northern South America. The weapon was evidently of little 

 value save for target shooting, on the results of which wagers were 

 made. 



FOOD 

 FOOD IN GENERAL 



The food of the Menomini Indians consists of such scant supplies of 

 vegetables as they may raise, pork obtained from the Government and 

 by purchase at the stores, meats and tish obtained by hunting, berries 

 and wild fruits in season, and such dishes as the women have been 

 taught or have learned to make by contact with civilization. At the 

 burial feast of 1890, 1 was astonished to see served to the attendants, 

 and of which I also partook to a limited extent, roast beef, poundcake, 

 raspberry pie, and cofl'ee with cream and sugar, apparently as clean 

 and almost as good as that usually served at a second-rate hotel. At 

 the same time it was also observed that several of the visiting medicine 

 men and women came provided with large bagfuls of green cucumbers, 

 which their favored guests or friends ate raw with keen relish after 

 merely paring off the rind. 



Salt is not used by the Menomini during meals, neither does it 

 appear to have a place in the kitchen for cooking or baking. Maple 

 sirup is used instead, and it is singular how soou one may acquire the 

 taste for this substitute for salt, even on meats. At the ceremonies of 

 1893 lard and soda biscuits alone formed the meal of the attending 

 medicine men and others aiding in the ceremonies, each half biscuit 

 being dipped into the bucket to scoop up a quantity of lard equal iu 

 size to a small English walnut. One of the mitii'wok, a Potawatomi, 

 who had eaten nothing during the day until about 2 oclock in the 

 afternoon, began to eat this nauseating mess with the first set of four 

 medicine men, continued with the second set after the first had fin- 

 ished, and leaned back to all appearances gratified only when the third 

 set of assistant medicine men had eaten to repletion. Notwithstanding 



