Olbrechts] the swimmer MANUSCRIPT 157 



Technique of Writing the Formulas 



Reference has repeatedly been made in the course of this paper to 

 the sheets of paper and the notebooks in which the medicine men keep 

 their stock of sacred and medicinal knowledge recorded, 



I will now briefly describe the technique observed by them in com- 

 piling, conserving, and using this information. 



The most methodic of the medicine men keep notebooks the sizes 

 of which may differ from foolscap or quarto to 16° which they obtain 

 from the white traders, and in which they write down the formulas 

 they have been able to collect, without paying the slightest regard 

 whatever to system or classification. 



A conjuration to cure headache may precede a love incantation, 

 which may be followed by a fishing song, after which a prescription 

 for diarrhea is found. 



The Ay. manuscript following is by no means the worst example of 

 this motley topsy-turvy, as there are manuscripts in which the for- 

 mulas are even interspersed with notes of an historical interest, not 

 to speak of tribal records, such as births, deaths, accidents, etc. 



It has always been a riddle to me how the medicine man finds the 

 formula he needs for a particular occasion. This is indeed often a 

 rather difficult proposition, but even if there are manuscripts contain- 

 ing nearly 300 formulas, the medicine man always knows exactly 

 which formulas it contains. This, to my mind, is quite a remarkable 

 feat of memory, since in such a compilation quite a few of the 

 formulas are of necessity practically identical. 



Where the formulas are kept on loose sheets of paper, of all dimen- 

 sions and aspects, some of them written out in lead pencil, others in 

 ink, others again with red or brown crayons, the confusion is even 

 greater. 



Roughly spealdng, the contents of these collections may be divided 

 into formulas and prescriptions. Usually they have a title written 

 as a caption at the top, but this is not a rule, as very often the con- 

 tents and the purpose of the formulas are briefly indicated at the end 

 in the "directions." 



Both "title" and "directions" the Cherokee caU by the same name: 

 De'^GO'St'stsGQ'M, i. e., "where they (the information, pi.) have been 

 assembled." The directions at the end of the formula usually convey 

 such information as the purpose of the formula, directions as to the 

 simples or other materia medica to be used; how this is to be prepared 

 (often even where the plants can be found), which paraphernalia are 

 to be used, what ritual is to be gone through, and the restrictions to 

 be observed by the patient, and eventually by the medicine man. 

 Occasionally the fee is also listed here. 



Sometimes a part of the directions of the formula, especially the 

 passage conveyiug the information about the purpose it is used for. 



