Clark: May 24, 1806
On a fine, warm Saturday, Clark tended to Sacagawea's child, whose jaw and neck swelling had worsened, treating it with cream of tartar and an onion poultice. He sent six men out hunting toward the quamash fields. The ailing William Bratton, unable to walk, underwent a sweat-bath cure devised by John Shields—involving a heated pit, alternating with cold water—and showed marked improvement. A paralyzed Nez Perce man arrived seeking further treatment, and four men traded awls at the Broken Arm village for bread and roots. Two young Nez Perce visitors also stopped by.
Saturday 24th May 1806 a fine morning the Child was very restless last
night its jaw and back of its neck is much more Swelled than it was
yesterday. I gave it a dost of Creme of Tarter and a fresh Poltice of
Onions. ordered Shields, Gibson, Drewyer, Crusat, Collins, and Jo. &
rubin Fields to turn out hunting and if possible Cross Collins Creek and
hunt towards the quar mash fields. W. Brattin is yet very low he eats
hartily but he is So weak in the Small of his back that he Can’t walk. we
have made use of every remidy to restore him without it’s haveing the
desired effect. one of our party, John Shields observed that he had Seen
men in Similar Situations restored by Violent Swets. and bratten requested
that he might be Swetted in the way Sheilds purposed which we agreed to.
Shields dug a round hole 4 feet deep & 3 feet Diamuter in which he
made a large fire So as to beet the hole after which the fire was taken
out a Seet placed in the hole. the patent was then Set on the Seat with a
board under his feet and a can of water handed him to throw on the bottom
& Sides of the hole So as to create as greate a heat as he Could bear.
and the hole covered with blankets supported by hoops. after about 20
minits the patient was taken out and put in Cold water a few minits, &
returned to the hole in which he was kept about 1 hour. then taken out and
Covered with Several blankets, which was taken off by degrees untill he
became Cool. this remedy took place yesterday and bratten is walking about
to day and is much better than he has been. at 11 A.M. a canoe came down
with the Indian man who had applyed for medical assistance while we lay at
the broken arms village. this man I had given a fiew doses of Flower of
Sulpher & Creme of Tarter and derected that he Should take the Cold
bath every morning. he Conceited himself a little better than he was at
that time. he had lost the use of all his limbs and his fingers are
Contracted. We are at a loss to deturmine what to do for this unfortunate
man. I gave him a few drops of Lodman and Some portable Supe as medisine.
4 of our men Crossed the river and went to the broken arms Village and
returned in the evening with a Supply of bread and roots which they
precured in exchange for Awls which were made of pieces of a chanewe
were visited to day by the 2 young men who gave Capt. L. and my Self a
horse each at the village. those men Stayed about two hours and returned
to their village. this day proved to be very worm.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Saturday 24th May 1806. A fine morning. The child was very restless last night; its jaw and the back of its neck are much more swollen than they were yesterday. I gave it a dose of cream of tartar and a fresh poultice of onions. I ordered Shields, Gibson, Drewyer (Drouillard), Crusat (Cruzatte), Collins, and Jo. and Rubin Fields to turn out hunting, and if possible to cross Collins Creek and hunt toward the quamash fields.
W. Brattin (Bratton) is still very low. He eats heartily, but he is so weak in the small of his back that he can't walk. We have made use of every remedy to restore him without its having the desired effect. One of our party, John Shields, observed that he had seen men in similar situations restored by violent sweats, and Bratton requested that he might be sweated in the way Shields proposed, which we agreed to. Shields dug a round hole 4 feet deep and 3 feet in diameter, in which he made a large fire so as to heat the hole. After that the fire was taken out and a seat placed in the hole. The patient was then set on the seat with a board under his feet, and a can of water handed to him to throw on the bottom and sides of the hole so as to create as great a heat as he could bear. The hole was covered with blankets supported by hoops. After about 20 minutes the patient was taken out and put in cold water for a few minutes, then returned to the hole, in which he was kept about 1 hour. Then he was taken out and covered with several blankets, which were taken off by degrees until he became cool. This remedy took place yesterday, and Bratton is walking about today and is much better than he has been.
At 11 A.M. a canoe came down with the Indian man who had applied for medical assistance while we lay at the Broken Arm's village. To this man I had given a few doses of flower of sulphur and cream of tartar, and directed that he should take the cold bath every morning. He considered himself a little better than he was at that time. He had lost the use of all his limbs, and his fingers are contracted. We are at a loss to determine what to do for this unfortunate man. I gave him a few drops of laudanum and some portable soup as medicine.
4 of our men crossed the river and went to the Broken Arm's village and returned in the evening with a supply of bread and roots, which they procured in exchange for awls that were made of pieces of a canoe. We were visited today by the 2 young men who gave Capt. L. (Capt. Lewis) and myself a horse each at the village. Those men stayed about two hours and then returned to their village. This day proved to be very warm.
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