Disease Among the Macusis. 
265 
aud New Granada into wliich they wandered, according to Ilerrera, by 
means of the Isthmus of Darieu, it is not such an extravagant hypothesis 
to assume that in the course of that migration a branch turned off and 
settled in Guiana — Avhen the stones could also have been introduced.t 
The very numerous hieroglyphics and picture-writings found Ijy us on 
the rocks of the larger streams and upon the higH mountain ranges 
might make the derivation of the Guianese from the highl;yi civilised 
Anahuacs still more prol>able, in spite of the fact that this earlier stage 
of culture is, even in tradition, foreign and unknown to the present 
inhalntants. 
G09. It was because the myths relative to both Amazons and 
Amazon-stones have been many a time investigated by the most 
celebrated men of the present and past, without satisfactoi'y results, that 
I considered it my duty not to withhold what I had learnt about them 
from the Indians during tlie course of my travels. 
010. Before resuming tbe account of my experiences at Pirara I am 
anxious to add a few notes concerning the diseases especially indigenous 
to the Macusis as well as the treatment adopted, independently of the 
medicine men's exorcisms. With this object in View, I propose including 
at the same time an inventory of all the plants which from a medicinal 
point of view are utilised for various complaints not only by Indians but 
also by coloured people and ISTegroes. 
611. With the exception of the endemic skin-diseases already 
mentioned that seem to be the inherited lot of all the South American 
tribes, I found among the Macusis a predominance only of fever, 
dysentery, diarrhoea, dropsy, and inflammations of the abdominal 
organs, chiefly liver comjdaints, and amongst children, worm-diseases. 
The very large number of Indians with a monstrous swelling of the 
abdomen, which even amongst the youngsters is not unusual, shows 
how prevalent liver-affections must be. I will first of all mention the 
measures commonly em])loyed in almost all cases of disease. If the 
Indian feels unwell, he takes to his hammock, has a small fire lighted 
under it, and rests himself for a few days. If the symptoms increase, 
he has the piai-man sent for who now practises his art, and then follows 
the ordinary routine. Steam l)aths and cold river-liathiug occupy the 
chief place. No raattei" tlie nature of the comjdaint, the bath as I have 
already said, comes first. In the height of fever and with no strength 
left to take him to the river, the patient will be just as soon drenched 
with cold water as enveloped in steam : the latter is produced by quartz 
or peblde-stones made glowing hot, placed under the hammock and water 
then poured ove<i' them. Next to these universally adopted remedies 
comes l)leeding wdiich Avill also be employed in almost all diseases 
showing increased temperature even in every insignificant trouble, 
rheumatism, etc. One or more incisions are usually made into the 
nearest lying vein, or long vertical slits in the skin just where they feel 
the pain, either with a sharp piece of bone, the barb of a sting!-ray, or 
with a knife : after the wounds have bled long enough the astringent and 
t Independently of such a migration it is (iuito intelligible tliat the stones came here in the 
ordinary course of trade and barter. (Ed), 
