26 THE KAROK. 
him alive. Then, at the expiration of this rigorous fast, he returns and 
jumps up and down in the assembly chamber like the woman. 
There are two classes of shamans—the root-doctors and the barking 
doctors—the latter reminding one somewhat of the medieval spagyrics. It 
is the province of the barking-doctor to diagnose the case, which she (most 
doctors are women) does by squatting down like a dog on his haunches 
before the patient, and barking at him like that noble and faithful animal 
for hours together. After her comes the root-doctor, and with numerous 
potions, poultices, ete., seeks to medicate the part where the other has dis- 
covered the ailment resides. No medicinal simples are of any avail, what- 
ever are their virtues, unless certain powwows and mummeries are performed 
over them. 
It will be perceived that the barking-doctor is the more important func- 
tionary of the two. In addition to her diagnostic functions, she takes 
charge of the “poisoned” cases, which among these superstitious people 
are very numerous. They believe they frequently fall victims to witches, 
who cause a snake, frog, lizard, or other noxious reptile to fasten itself to the 
body and grow through the skin into the viscera. In this case the barking- 
doctor first discovers, secundum artem, in what portion of the body the rep- 
tile lurks, then commences sucking the place, and sucks until the skin is 
broken and blood flows. Then she herself takes an emetic and vomits up a 
frog or something, which she pretends was drawn from the patient, but 
which of course she had previously swallowed. 2 
In a case of simple “ poisoning”, the barking-doctor gives the sufferer 
an emetic, and causes him to vomit into a small basket. The basket is then 
covered and held before the patient while he names in succession the various 
persons whom he suspects of having poisoned him. At each name men- 
tioned the doctor uncovers the basket and looks in. So long as wrong 
names are mentioned the vomited matter remains; but when the right one 
is hit upon, presto! it is gone, and when the doctor looks in the basket it is 
empty. 
The Karok hold their medicines personally responsible for the lives of 
their patients. If one loses a case he must return his fee; more than that, 
