Alkali Salts.} The Salts They Mix
With Their Bread And Soupe, To Give Them A Relish, Are Alkalis,
(Viz.) Ashes,
And calcined Bones of Deer, and other Animals.
{No Sallads, Pepper, or Mustard.} Sallads, they never eat any;
as for
Pepper and Mustard, they reckon us little better than Madmen,
to make use of it amongst our Victuals. They are never troubled
with the Scurvy, Dropsy, nor Stone. The Phthisick, Asthma, and Diabetes,
they are wholly Strangers to; neither do I remember I ever saw
one Paralytick amongst them. The Gout, I cannot be certain
whether they know what it is, or not. Indeed, I never saw
any Nodes or Swellings, which attend the Gout in Europe;
{Rhumatick Pains.} yet they have a sort of Rhumatism or Burning of the Limbs,
which tortures them grievously, at which time their Legs are so hot,
that they employ the young People continually to pour Water down them.
I never saw but one or two thus afflicted. The Struma is not uncommon
amongst these Savages, and another Distemper, which is, in some respects,
like the Pox, but is attended with no Gonorrhoea. This not seldom
bereaves them of their Nose. I have seen three or four of them
render'd most miserable Spectacles by this Distemper.
Yet, when they have been so negligent, as to let it run on so far
without curbing of it; at last, they make shift to patch themselves up,
and live for many years after; and such Men commonly turn Doctors.
I have known two or three of these no-nose Doctors in great Esteem
amongst these Savages. The Juice of the Tulip-Tree is used
as a proper Remedy for this Distemper. What Knowledge they have in Anatomy,
I cannot tell, neither did I ever see them employ themselves therein,
unless, as I told you before, when they make the Skeletons
of their Kings and great Mens Bones.
The Indians are very careless and negligent of their Health;
as, by Drunkenness, Wading in the Water, irregular Diet and Lodging,
and a thousand other Disorders, (that would kill an European)
which they daily use. They boil and roast their Meat extraordinary much,
and eat abundance of Broth, {Naked Indians.} except the Savages
whom we call the naked Indians, who never eat any Soupe.
They travel from the Banks of the Messiasippi, to war against
the Sinnagars or Iroquois, and are (if equal Numbers)
commonly too hard for them. They will lie and sleep in the Woods
without Fire, being inur'd thereto. They are the hardiest of all Indians,
and run so fast, that they are never taken, neither do any Indians
outrun them, if they are pursu'd. Their Savage Enemies say,
their Nimbleness and Wind proceeds from their never eating any Broth.
{Small-Pox.} The Small-Pox has been fatal to them; they do not often escape,
when they are seiz'd with that Distemper, which is a contrary Fever
to what they ever knew. Most certain, it had never visited America,
before the Discovery thereof by the Christians.
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