144 CUPPING.— NATIVE DOCTORS. 



drawn, and kept out "by touching the orifice, at every inspiration, 

 with the point of the tongue, the wax is at last pressed together 

 with the teeth, and the little hole in it closed up, leaving a vacuum 

 within the horn for the blood to flow from the already scarified 

 parts. The edges of the horn applied to the surface are wetted, 

 and cupping is well performed, though the doctor occasionally, by 

 separating the fibrine from the blood in a basin of water by his 

 side, and exhibiting it, pretends that he has extracted something 

 more than blood. He can thus explain the rationale of the cure 

 by his own art, and the ocular demonstration given is well appre- 

 ciated. 



Those doctors who have inherited their profession as an heir- 

 loom from their fathers and grandfathers generally possess some 

 valuable knowledge, the result of long and close observation ; 

 but if a man can not say that the medical art is in his family, he 

 may be considered a quack. With the regular practitioners I al- 

 ways remained on the best terms, by refraining from appearing to 

 doubt their skill in the presence of their patients. Any explana- 

 tion in private was thankfully received by them, and wrong treat- 

 ment changed into something more reasonable with cordial good- 

 will, if no one but the doctor and myself were present at the con- 

 versation. English medicines were eagerly asked for and accept- 

 ed by all; and we always found medical knowledge an import- 

 ant aid in convincing the people that we were really anxious for 

 their welfare. We can not accuse them of ingratitude ; in fact, 

 we shall remember the kindness of the Bakwains to us as long as 

 we live. 



The surgical knowledge of the native doctors is rather at a low 

 ebb. No one ever attempted to remove a tumor except by ex- 

 ternal applications. Those with which the natives are chiefly 

 troubled are fatty and fibrous tumors ; and as they all have the 

 vis medicatrix naturce in remarkable activity, I safely removed an 

 immense number. In illustration of their want of surgical knowl- 

 edge may be mentioned the case of a man who had a tumor 

 as large as a child's head. This was situated on the nape of 

 his neck, and prevented his walking straight. He applied to 

 his chief, and he got some famous strange doctor from the East 

 Coast to cure him. He and his assistants attempted to dissolve 

 it by kindling on it a little fire made of a few small pieces 



