oIbrechts] the swimmer MANUSCRIPT 69 



ment. This is a comblike device and is quite a remarkable specimen 

 of primitive inventive spirit. (PI. 7, d, i.) 



It is made of seven splinters of bone of a turkey leg, set into a 

 frame of a turkey quill; the quill is folded over in four parts of pretty 

 equal dimensions, so as to form a rectangular frame 5 centimeters by 

 4 centimeters; where the two extremities meet they are tied together, 

 and the seven bone splinters (about 5 cm. long and 3 mm. broad at 

 the top; sharpened to a keen point at the bottom) are then stuck 

 through the upper part of the quill frame, with intervals of not more 

 than 1 or 2 milhmeters; they are then also stuck through the bottom 

 part of the frame, 1 or 2 millimeters of their cutting extremity piercing 

 the frame at the bottom. With these seven sharp points the scratches 

 are inflicted; and the ingenious way in which they are mounted pre- 

 vents them from piercing so deep into the flesh as to inflict serious 

 wounds. 



Although only the ball players are now being scratched by this 

 instrument there are good reasons to believe that formerly it was 

 also used in the treatment of certain aihnents, where now such 

 objects as flint arrowheads, briars, and laurel leaves (see infra) are 

 used. 



Moreover, there seems to be a tendency nowadays for scarification 

 to develop from a mythico-surgical operation as Mooney still foimd 

 it 40 years ago in a rite of a purely symbolic nature. In many 

 instances I observed that not only no ''gashes" were inflicted, but 

 that not even a particle of blood was drawn during the operation. 



Dt^DQ*4e'ski (rhemnatism; cf. p. 292) and. ailments wliich from a 

 Cherokee point of view are related to this disease, are universally 

 treated by this "scratching" method. The scarifying is here done 

 by means of a flint arrowhead (oawt'skula'), preferably of the black 

 variety. Old medicine men assert that this is the only variety 

 (pi. 7, a) that should be used, but as this kind of arrowhead is getting 

 scarce there is a tendency to use any other kind (pi. 7, h). A still 

 more curious shifting to a new position is shown in the custom which 

 is rapidly gaining ground and according to which scratching is simyjly 

 neglected, but an unworked piece of flint (also called Dawt'skula', pi. 7, 

 c) is merely held against the sore joint, the formula for scratching 

 being recited at the same time. 



Schematically this evolution could be represented as follows: 



Black flint arrowhead to scratch with 



I 



i . ^ . 



Any arrowhead to scratch Any piece of hlack flint held 



with. against aching spot 



I did not find that any articles imported by the whites, such as 

 knives, nails, glass, etc., were in use as scratching instruments. 



