Rocky Mountains. 237 



On the delivery of her first child, the young mother, who 

 appears to be but little enfeebled by the process, arises al- 

 most immediately, and attends to the ordinary house work ; 

 but she does not, in general, undergo any laborious occupa- 

 tion, such as cutting and carrying wood, until the lapse of 

 two or three days. The second child is brought forth with- 

 out difficulty, and the parent, after bathing, ties it to a board, 

 after their usual manner, then proceeds with her daily work, 

 as if nothing extraordinary had occurred. 



Mammary abscess is very rare; a squaw of the Sioux na- 

 tion died with this complaint. 



Sterility, although it does occur, is not frequent, and seems 

 to be mostly attributable to the husband, as is evinced by 

 subsequent marriages of the squaws. 



The usual number of children, may be stated at from four 

 to six in a family, but in some families are ten or twelve. 

 Of these the mother has often two at the breast simulta- 

 neously, of which one may be three years of age. At this 

 age, however, and sometimes rather earlier, the child is 

 weaned by the aid of ridicule, in which the parents are as- 

 sisted by visitors. 



The catalogue of the diseases, of both children and adults, 

 probably bears a similar proportion to that of the white peo- 

 ple, and is far less extensive and appalling. The summer 

 complaint, so destructive to children in our region, appears 

 to be uncommon with the Omawhaw infants, but, during 

 their first year, they suffer more from constipation of the 

 bowels, than from any other complaint, but which is occa- 

 sionally remedied, by passing a small piece of soap (which 

 is obtained from the traders,) cut into the proper shape, 

 into the rectum. 



Dentition seems to be productive of no great distress ; the 

 gums are never cut, but the teeth are permitted to force 

 their way through ; the shedding of the teeth is also accom- 

 plished, without much difficulty; the milk teeth, being forced 



