oIbreSts] the SWIMMEE MANUSCRIPT 65 



obtainable by the Cherokee, they never abstain from these articles 

 when under medical treatment. 



It seems to me that the reason for these restrictions are to be 

 sought in another direction: The smarting of salt in open wounds and 

 the scalding effect of hot food have probably given the people the 

 notion that these two articles of diet are of a pain-aggravating 

 nature. 



One disease, G(.-'c4!)'' a'naldzi'skwsko-'.i ("when they spit blood"), 

 is actually caused by "eating too much salt," Del. told me. 



It also struck me that these two restrictions always most rigorously 

 apply in cases of hemorrhage (woands, menstruation, partus, etc.) 

 or when there are smarting pains, even if these be internal, as in 

 gonorrhea, pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc. 



Another significant fact that I M-ish to present to substantiate 

 the view here defended is that a prescription of Ms. Ill, the object 

 of which is to cure a sldn eruption, prescribes go.in'o" a'ma' u'tbtso'Ji 

 nt'Gesg-'na ("and also grease with which (however) no salt has been 

 mixed"). 



Roth, pages 348, 352, mentions two facts which of course could not 

 prove my point of view, but which are nevertheless interesting paral- 

 lels. "The Piache's (medicine man's) first prescription is to impose 

 a general fast on the patient and his kinsfolk; the majority of the 

 Piaches demand that no one belonging to the house should eat any- 

 thing hot, anything cooked, or peppers" (p. 352). 



Apart from salt and hot food, which are prohibited in the greater 

 majority of diseases, there are some other taboos that are to be 

 observed when suffering from some particular ailments. 



So will the patient under treatment for rheumatism have to abstain 

 from eating squirrel or rabbit meat, because of the hunchback position 

 that is so characteristic of these animals; the one suffering from 

 diarrhea should not eat fish or chicken, because the feces of these 

 animals would seem to indicate that they are chronically afflicted 

 with this very disease; the one visited with watery blisters should 

 abstain from all juicy fruit and vegetables, etc. 



Some of the taboos are to be observed during the course of the 

 treatment only (usually four days), others "for a very long time," 

 or "as long as possible," which may mean anything from a month to a 

 year; others again for lifetime. 



In very rare cases, not onlj^ the patient, but also the medicine man 

 treating him, as well as the assistant of the latter, who is usually a 

 member of the patient's household, have to abstain from certain 

 articles; e. g., when treating anyone who has been wounded by a 

 bullet or an arrow, the medicine man should not chew tobacco for 

 four days; this same taboo has to be observed by the patient. 



