travels in North America. 269 



la Acadia^ a Diftemper was never confidered to be of much 

 cru P • -^7 Confequence, but when the Patient refufed 

 ihe ^rtnapies ^.^^ Nourifhment, and many Na- 

 cn^kchtheM ^.^^^ ^.jj ^j^^ ^^^^ 5^^^^^.^ Let a Per- 

 Fraatce of Phyftc ^^^^ ^-^^ ^^^^^^ 



zs founded among ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^j^.^^ ^^j^^ p^^, 



if^e dacvages. ^^^^ ^^^^^ Diftemper appears 



dangerous, t^at is to Jay ^ when the Patient refufes all Kinds of 

 Food, they employ all their Attention. ït is true that the 

 Principles on which all the Phyfic of the Savages is founded, 

 are very extraordinary : They refufe the Patient nothing that 

 he alks, becaufe, fay they, his Defires in this State are the Or- 

 ders of the Genius, that prefid es over his Prefervation f^?^ : And 

 when they call in the Jugglers, 'tis lefs on Account of their 

 Skill, than becaufe they fuppofe they are better informed by 

 the Genii of the Caufe of the Diitemper, and of the Remedies 

 for the Cure. 



Furthermore, they will have nothing to reproach themfelves 

 with : One would imagine that Death lofes fomelhing of its Ter-, 

 ror, when it follows after a Courfe of Phyfic, though this Phylic 

 might be the Caufe of it. Our Savages are v/ith Regard to this 

 Notion under the general Law, and the common Prejudice 

 of all Nations, and all Ages ; and they are the more excufable 

 for carrying their Credulity fo far, as they acknowledge fome- 

 thing fupernatural in all Diilempers; and as they make Reli- 

 gion lhare in the Art of healing them, they think themfelves 

 the lefs obliged to be guided by Reafon, and make it a Duty to 

 fuifer themfelves to be led blindfold. 



Oftentimes the Patient takes it into his Head that his Diftem- 

 c^r , ^ per is the Effed of V/itchcraft : Then all 



l /,e^r extra^a^ their Care is to difcover it, and this is the 

 ^ant potion oj j^^^y of the Juggler. He begins by fvveating 

 Uipempers, himfelf, and vvhen he has throroughly tired 



himfelf with bawling, beating himfelf, and invoking his Ge*, 

 nius, the firil extraordinary Thing that comes into his Thought, 

 he afcribes as the Caufe of the Difcemper. Many, before they 

 enter into the Stove, take a compound Potion, very propei', 

 as they fay, to make them receive the heavenly Impreffion ; 

 and they pretend that the Prefence of the Spirit is manifefted 

 by a ftrong Wind that rifes on a fudden, or by a Bellowing 

 which they hear under Ground, or by the Agitation cr fhaking 

 of the Stove. Then full of his pretended Deity, and more like 

 one pofTelTed with the Devil, than a Man infpired by Heaven, 

 he pronounces his Decifion in a magifierial Tone on the State 

 of the Patient, and fometimes hits pretty right. 



( ^ This feems to deferve to be attended to, as Experience has often proved 

 Uiat the Indulgence of the Defjies of the Sick has been faJutary. 



But 



