THE POISON DOCTOR. 131 
commence hopping up and down the unfortunate individual with their legs 
astride of him, advancing by infinitesimal jumps all the way up to his 
head, then backward to his feet—both keeping close together and hopping 
in regular accord. 
The “poison doctor” is the most important member of the profession. 
The office is hereditary ; a little child is prepared for holding it by being 
poisoned and then cured, which in their opinion renders him invulnerable 
ever afterward. Of course it will be understood that a great part of these 
supposed cases of poisoning are merely the creation of their superstitious 
imaginations. They are somewhat homeopathic in their practice ; they 
cure poisoning with poison, expel a cold with cold water, ete. They go 
by the rule, no cure no pay. Female doctors are not absolutely entitled 
to a fee, but they expect and generally receive presents. An instance is 
related where a woman volunteered to extract an arrow-point from the body 
of a white man who was friendly to the Yuki. Her proposition was ac- 
cepted, and at the appointed time she arrived followed by a train of about 
thirty female attendants ; she was dressed sumptuously in fringed leggings, 
a thread petticoat of milkweed fiber, a beautiful wild-cat skin robe tasseled 
with the tails, and a rich otter-skin bandeau, supporting tall eagle feathers, 
which were cut in the middle to tremble with her motions. She carried in 
her hand a wand with a gay feather in the end of it. She was described 
as a woman of a majestic presence, graceful with that unstudied charm 
which belongs to the children of the sun. Walking round and round the 
patient with her attendants, and chanting, she repeatedly applied her wand 
to the wound and simulated great effort in drawing out the arrow-head. 
Finally she stooped down and applied her lips to the wound; and after a 
little while she ejected a flint from her mouth (previously placed there of 
course), and assured the man he would now speedily recover. Vor this 
humbug, so transparent, and yet so insinuatingly and elegantly administered, 
she expected no less a present than a gayly-figured bandana handkerchief 
and five pounds of sugar. 
When their own friends fall sick they give them sufficient attention ; 
but if an old person has no blood-relations he is generally left to die un- 
attended. Public spirit is a thing unknown. 
