1855.] Notes on Northern Cachar. 631 



regarding the nature of his recent occupations. Having meditated 

 for a short time on the replies, he at length names the god who has 

 been offended, and mentions the kind of sacrifice which will appease 

 him, particularising the colour of the animal that is required. 



If the victim be a fowl the Thempoo proceeds a short distance 

 out of the village in the direction of the place where his patient 

 was first affected, and lighting a fire, cuts the throat of the animal, 

 pouriug the blood forth as an offering on the ground, and muttering 

 at the same time some praises in the unknown language. He then 

 deliberately sits down, roasts and eats the fowl, throws the refuse into 

 the jungle, and returns home ! and this is the whole ceremony which 

 is believed to be so efficacious. Should the sacrifice required be a 

 pig, goat or dog, the Thempoo invites some of his friends to assist 

 him at the meal, and in the case of a cow, buffalo or methin he 

 has a large dinner party at the expense of the invalid. In fact it 

 is ruinous among the Kookies to fall sick, these spiritual doctors, 

 making in the end quite as long bills as regularly graduated 

 M. Ds. They have also a very knowing way of escaping the respon- 

 sibility of the ultimate result of the sacrifices, and the possibility of 

 the death of their patient. For instance, a poor man, [and most of 

 the Kookies are poor,] calling in a Thempoo, may be told that the 

 only effectual and sure means of recovery is by the sacrifice of a grey 

 methin. The miserable invalid expressing his thorough inability to 

 make such a valuable offering, asks the Thempoo to think again, and 

 say if there are no other means. The Thempoo declares that "he 

 is very sorry, there cannot be the slightest doubt but that the grey 

 methin was the precise animal indicated to him, success might how- 

 ever follow the sacrifice of a black and white goat." Should the 

 goat even be beyond the sick man's means, the Thempoo may men- 

 tion a spotted fowl as the next most likely thing : and this will 

 accordingly be given. Should success fail to attend the sacrifice 

 the doctor is quite irresponsible, and only demands fresh sacrifices, 

 generally getting them of different animals and colours, every two 

 or three days, until the invalid recovers or dies. This is the only 

 treatment of disease practised by the Kookies, and they have no 

 knowledge of any kind of medicine. Those who have been ad- 

 mitted into our hospitals seem highly to appreciate our mode of 



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