Sacajawea's Baby Was Ill With Mumps
And Teething, And It Is Suggested That The Two Captains Would Have Been
Obliged
To "walk the floor all night," if there had been any floor
to walk on; as it was, they were
Deprived of their nightly rest.
Here is an example of what the doctors would call heroic treatment
by Captain Clark, who conducted all such experiments: -
"With one of the men [Bratton] we have ventured an experiment
of a very robust nature. He has been for some time sick,
but has now recovered his flesh, eats heartily, and digests well,
but has so great a weakness in the loins that he cannot walk or even
sit upright without extreme pain. After we had in vain exhausted
the resources of our art, one of the hunters mentioned that he had
known persons in similar situations to be restored by violent sweats,
and at the request of the patient, we permitted the remedy to be applied.
For this purpose a hole about four feet deep and three in diameter was
dug in the earth, and heated well by a large fire in the bottom of it.
The fire was then taken out, and an arch formed over the hole
by means of willow-poles, and covered with several blankets
so as to make a perfect awning. The patient being stripped naked,
was seated under this on a beach, with a piece of board for
his feet, and with a jug of water sprinkled the bottom and sides
of the hole, so as to keep up as hot a steam as he could bear.
After remaining twenty minutes in this situation, he was taken out,
immediately plunged twice in cold water, and brought back to the hole,
where he resumed the vapor bath.
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