Olbkechts] the swimmer MANUSCRIPT 95 



events that are to happen four or seven days afterwards, or within 

 four or seven days. I am quite convinced that they honestly beheve 

 themselves in what they forecast in tliis manner, e. g., that the 

 patron's enemy, against whom the medicine man had been asked to 

 conjure, will die within seven days; or that a disease has been sent by 

 a plotter, etc. 



But it should be borne in mind that four or seven days (or rather 

 four or seven ''nights passed") is a ritual expression wliich may 

 just as well mean the same number of years, so that the margin of 

 error becomes verj'- elastic. Adding to wliich such exegetical com- 

 modities at the command of the Cherokee medicine man as the 

 superior magic power of the opponent, the possible neglect of the 

 medicine man's patron to observe the necessary taboos, and all the 

 difficulties raised by skeptics are explained away. 



"A desire to serve." Such might well be the slogan of the pro- 

 fession, summing up its attitude toward the sick and the disabled. 



There are, of course, some less worthy members who are only too 

 anxious to convince the suffering party that a treatment of seven days 

 would be more advantageous than one of four, tliinking at the same 

 time of the greater profit in cloth and beads wliich the former will 

 bring him. 



But it deserves emphasis, on the other hand, that any medicine 

 man called upon is willing and ready to undertake the curing of a 

 patient who is utterly destitute; although he quite well knows that he 

 is to expect no reward for his troubles, he will dispense to him the same 

 care, and will exert the same amount of sldil to relieve him, as he would 

 do for the benefit of a well-to-do member of the tribe. 



Nor does a personal enemy of a medicine man call on his aid in vain, 

 in his hour of need. Two medicine men told me that their mother, 

 from whom they had inherited a great deal of their knowledge, had 

 told them before she died that they should never make use of their 

 knowledge to harm their enemies; they shoidd never take vengeance 

 of a first slight or insult, nor of a second; but if they had been abused 

 three times (see p. 100) by the same person, then they might react by 

 occult means against him. Should this enemy become ill, however, 

 and call for their help, they should not refuse it, but should extend to 

 him the benefit of their skill and knowledge with the same good will 

 as if he were their best friend. 



The Medicine Man's Fee 



There is not much left to be added to James Mooney's excellent 

 account of this in his SFC, pages 337-339. 



The only main point left at issue, viz, the etymology of the word, 

 has been subjected to a further investigation, with the following 



7548°— 32 8 



