72 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99 



Dislocation. — Cases of dislocation are treated as efficaciously as one 

 can expect. Three or four friends get hold of the patient and simply 

 pull long and frantically until they believe the rebellious joint has 

 resumed its original position. As to the ultimate outcome, the same 

 fatalistic view is taken as with regard to fractures. 



Dentistry. — The art of the stomatologist is in its very prime among 

 the Cherokee. If neuralgia is felt, it may be treated as — 



(1) Dt'Dg'U'ski (see p. 292); in this case the jaw, the cheek, or the 

 temple may be scratched by arrowhead, briars, or laurel leaves. 

 (See p. 70.) 



(2) Else the medicine man may proclaim that the pain is caused by 

 insects. (See p. 28.) This is especially the explanation if there is 

 any visible swelling or inflammation. If such is the case a treatment 

 is adopted the main object of which is the sucking out of the insect. 

 (See p. 73.) 



If a tooth shows visible signs of decay the actual causes of pain are 

 not so much believed to be of a mythical nature. The pain is com- 

 bated as long as possible, by thrusting in the cavity of the aching 

 tooth a small quid of ordinarj^ chewing tobacoo; eventually, in a fit 

 of raging pain, the tooth is knocked out with a stone or a hammer. 



A half-blood, whose scientific progress had attained the point 

 where he pulled teeth bj^ m.eans of a pair of tongs, did a thriving 

 business, people from miles around walking to his house to be "oper- 

 ated upon." 



Wounds, boils, etc. — Wounds caused by a cutting instrument, such 

 as an ax, a knife, a strong splinter of wood, are always treated by the 

 recitation of a song (see p. 271) by the medicine man, or, if the case is 

 urgent, by the patient himself or by a member of his household, if 

 they Imow the formula. The infusion of tsf'yu bark (see p. 71) is 

 usually blown over the wound afterwards. 



Nowadays the wound is usually bandaged in a very summary way 

 with some stray bit of rag. It woidd appear that no surgical dressing, 

 of botanical matter or of skins, was practiced before the introduction 

 of cloth. 



Severe hemorrhage, especially resulting from wounds inflicted by 

 arrows or bullets, is stopped by a plaster of buzzard's do\^^l. The use 

 of birds' down for this purpose is practiced by several American 

 Indian tribes. 



Contusions and internal wounds caused by falling or by being hit 

 by heavy, blunt instriunents, as by a club, a tree branch, etc., are 

 treated by the panacea: the infusion of tsf'yii bark, blown over the 

 aching spot; no formula is recited, however. 



Use of the sucking horn. — The discussion of the following practice 

 under the caption of "Surgery" might be challenged v;ith some 

 reason, but the practice is undeniably of a surgical nature according 



