784 BUREAU OP AMERICAN ETHNOLCXJY [Bull. 137 



the sicke bodye, first with one legge, then with the other, And beinge now gott 

 vp, he leaysuerly goeth about y' sicke man shakinge his Rattle uery softly ouer 

 his bodye : and with his hand he stroketh y« greaued parts of the sicke, then doth 

 he besprinkell him with water mumblinge certayne words ouer him, and so for 

 that time leaue him. 



But if he be wounded after thes cermonys dunn unto him he with a litle flint 

 stone gasheth the wound makinge it to runn and bleede which he settinge his 

 mouth unto it suckes out, and then aplies a certayne roote betten to powter unto 

 y® Sore. (Smith, John, Arber ed., 1884, pp. cix-cx.) 



Beverley devotes an entire chapter to "the diseases and cures of the 

 Indians" of Virginia, the substance of which is as follows : 



The Indians are not subject to many Diseases, and such as they have, generally 

 come from excessive Heats, and sudden Colds, which they as suddenly get away 

 by Sweating. But if the Humour happen to fix, and make a pain in any particular 

 Joynt, or Limb, their general cure then is by burning, if it be in any part that 

 will bear it ; their method of doing this, is by little Sticks of Lightwood, the Coal 

 of which will burn like a hot Iron ; the sharp point of this they run into the Flesh, 

 and having made a Sore, keep it running till the Humour be drawn off : Or else 

 they take Punck, (which is a sort of a soft Touchwood, cut out of the knots of 

 Oak or Hiccory Trees, but the Hiccory affords the best,) this they shape like a Cone, 

 (as the Japoneses do their Moxa for the Gout) and apply the Basis of it to the 

 place affected. Then they set fire to it, letting it burn out upon the part, which 

 makes a running Sore effectually. 



They use Smoaking frequently and Scarrifying, which, like the Mexicans, they 

 perform with a Rattle-Snakes Tooth. They seldom cut deeper than the Epidermis, 

 by which means they give passage to those sharp waterish Humours, that lye 

 between the two Skins, and cause Inflamations. Sometimes they make use of 

 Reeds for Cauterizeing, which they heat over the Fire, till they are ready to 

 flame, and then apply them upon a piece of thin wet Leather to the place aggriev'd 

 which makes the Heat more pierceing. 



Their Priests are always Physicians, and by the method of their Education in 

 the Priesthood, are made very knowing in the hidden qualities of Plants, and 

 other Natural things, which they count a part of their Religion to conceal from 

 every body, but from those that are to succeed them in their holy Function. They 

 tell us, thaie God will be angi-y with them, if they should discover that part of 

 their knowledge ; so they suffer only the Rattle Snake Root to be known, and such 

 other Antidotes, as must be immediately apply'd; because their Doctors can't 

 be always at hand to remedy those sudden misfortunes, which generally happen 

 in their Hunting or Travelling. 



They call their Physick Wisoccan,'^ not from the name of any particular Root 

 or Plant, but as it signifies Medicine in general. . . . 



The Physick of the Indians, consists of the most part, in the Roots and Barks 

 of Trees, they very rarely using the Leaves either of Herbs or Trees ; what they 

 give inwardly, they infuse in Water, and what they apply outwardly, they stamp 

 or bruise, adding Water to it, if it has not moisture enough of itself ; with the 

 thin of this they bathe the part affected, then lay on the thick, after the manner 

 of a Pultis, and commonly dress round, leaving the sore place bare. 



They take great delight in Sweating, and therefore in every Town they 

 have a Sweating-House, and a Doctor is paid by the Publick to attend it. They 



••Newport's party was shown "the herbe called In their tongue tdsacan, which they 

 say heales poysoned woundes. It is lyvewort or bloudwort" (Smith, John, Arber 

 ed., 1884, pp. clxvlil). 



