Each drug was prepared during the singing of a song peculiar to it, and it is added that this took place during a meeting of the medicine men of the community, but I feel uncertain regarding this. Some were compounded from roots, leaves, or herbs as well as pebbles, shells, or other strange objects, each of which had been acquired in accordance with certain esoteric formulae known only to an inner circle of the medical fraternity of the community. This person possessed a pouch, usually made of the whole skin of some animal, which was well filled with the remedies known to him or her. Known the remedy was known and recourse was had to the medicine man or a medicine woman. If he succeeded he told his clients the name of it but he himself gave no medicine.ĭiseases were carefully classified, and as soon as the disease was
When a person was taken ill his near kindred appointed one of their number to take an article he had worn to the prophet who subjected it to a searching examination (by means of certain drugs?) for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of the illness.
