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Ojibway Medecine bone. Haupt coll. (& .del.) Actual size.

In the domain of Surgery the Ojibway does little. and has very few appliances. in fact none in the strict sense. but we feel that we must admit the "Medecine bone" to a place under the head of surgery as it is a mechanical means for producing a medicinal effect. The medecine bone is a long hollow bone of a crane or other bird. cut about two and three eigth inches in length. the edges smoothed down by rubbing them on a stone or file. This bone is the last resort of the medecine man when he wishes to produce emesis and every other method has failed. this bone is swallowed by he patient and is it said always produces its effect. Mr Beauleau tells the writer that four were usually swallowed. but we had never found more than one in the possession of any one Medecine Man. The rationale of the cause of the effect upon the system is difficult to conceive unless we admit it to be strictly mechanical. To the white man with less indifferent [?nerves?] than the indian. the idea that the bone had been formerly applied for so many similar purposes might produce emesis through the operation of the emotions. The same bone is used as an aspirater to remove pus from a sore. when occasion requires the medecine man or his acolyte creating a vaccuum at one end of the bone with his lips and mouth.

   Being [?] to see this for [?] "Medecine Bone" we made constant inquiry and search for it among the different band of indians visited at length in one of our visits we heard through a friendly squaw of such a bone in the village. and by her efforts were able to get it to make a drawing from. and doing so expressed a strong desire to possess it. finally through the kind offices of our friendly squaw the squaw a [?] woman who owned it agreed to let us keep the bone if we would make a photograph of herself and daughter. to this we agreed and the bone was delivered. but with the express understanding that it should not be known that she had parted with it. or her husband would kill her."  It has been kept a secret from the tribe. and we presume the squaws life is still safe.