Cap.XXLV. TfoC^bbyJflands. 34.5 



their breath : And for the cure of wounds, they and the Flo- f , 



ridians fuck out the blood 3 as was praftis'd by the ancient Phy- r^jS? & 



fitians, when any one had been bitten by a venemous beaft, ac ' 



caufing him who was to do that office to be prepar'd for that 



purpofe : It is reported alfo that our Caribbians, when they 



have been flung by fome dangerous Serpent, caufe the wound 



to be fucked by their Wives, after they have taken a drink 



which hath the vertue of abating the force of thevenome.* 



The topnambous do alfo fuck the affected parts, though there DcLery 9 



be no wound } which is alfo fometimes done m Florida: And c 20. 



the Turks when they are troubled with any defluxion and pain, Lirtfcot,c. u 



either in the head, or any other part of the body, burn the VillamentV 



partarTeded. . # W,,/. 5 , 



Some Barbarian Nations have much ftranger remedies in 

 their Difeafes, as may be feen in Hiftories : It is reported that 

 the Indians of Mechoacam and Tabafeo in New-Spain, to cure 

 themfelves of Fevers, caft themfelves ftark-naked into the — 

 River, thinking thereby to drown the difeafe : Some thing 

 of the fame kind hath alfo. been (een among the Caribbians 3 

 for Monfieur du Mont el met there one day an old man wafhing 

 his head in a very cold fpring, and having asked him the rea- 

 fon of it, the man replyed, that it was to cure himfelf, for he 

 was much troubled with cqld 5 and yet contrary to all rules of 

 our Medicine, this ftrange remedy prov'd fortunate to the old 

 man 5 for the fame Gentleman met him the next day very 

 well and lufty, and quite cur'd of his indifpofition 5 and the 

 Savage failed not to brag of it, and laugh at the French-man for 

 pitying him the day before. 



The Caribbians are very (hy e in communicating their fecrets 

 in Medicine, efpecially the women, who are very skilful in all 

 thofe cures 3 nay they are fo careful in keeping to themfelves 

 the fovereign Remedies they have againft the wounds made by 

 poifoned Arrows 3 that no rewards could yet prevail with them 

 to difcover them to the Chriftians : But they are very willing 

 to come and vifit them, and to drefs them when they ftand in 

 need of their affiftance : For a perfon of quality among the 

 French having been dangeroufly bitten by a Serpent, was hap* 

 pily recovered by their means : Which kindnefs of theirs makes 

 them differ much from thofe brutifh people of Gninny and Dutch Reta* 

 Sumatra, who have no compaflion on their own fick, but leave thns y & V. 

 them to fhift for themfelves like fo many poor beafts * BiaJrtJie le Blanc 

 ancient people of the Province of Babylon concern'd themfelves b *4- 

 fo particularly in all Difeafes, that the fick were there difpo- 

 fed into a publick place, and every one was to teach them that 

 remedy which he had try'd upon himfelf: Thofe who have 

 made Voyages to Cambaya affirm, that there is an Hofpital. 

 there for the entertainment of birds that are troubled with 

 any indifpofition. 



Y y Whed 



