Lewis: January 27, 1806
Collins departed for the salt works while Shannon returned to report his party had killed ten elk, leaving Labuche and R. Fields to guard them. Two elk lay in nearly inaccessible mountain terrain and were abandoned; men were ordered out at dawn to retrieve the other eight. Lewis noted that Goodrich had recovered from venereal disease through mercury treatment, and discussed Native remedies, particularly Chippewa use of lobelia and sumac decoctions. He also described the solme berry, comparing it to the Atlantic states' Solomon's seal berry.
Tuesday January 27th 1806. This morning Collins set out for the Salt
works. in the evening Shannon returned and reported that himself and party
had killed ten Elk. he left Labuche and R. fields with the Elk. two of
those Elk he informed us were at the distance of nine miles from this
place near the top of a mountain, that the rout by which they mus be
brought was at least four miles by land through a country almost
inaccessible from the fallen timber, brush and sink-holes, which were now
disgused by the snow; we therefore concluded to relinquish those two Elk
for the present, and ordered every man who could be speared from the fort
to go early in the morning in surch of the other eight.
Goodrich has recovered from the Louis veneri which he contracted from an
amorous contact with a Chinnook damsel. I cured him as I did Gibson last
winter by the uce of murcury. I cannot learn that the Indians have any
simples which are sovereign specifics in the cure of this disease; and
indeed I doubt very much wheter any of them have any means of effecting a
perfect cure. when once this disorder is contracted by them it continues
with them during life; but always ends in decipitude, death, or premature
old age; tho from the uce of certain simples together with their diet,
they support this disorder with but little inconvenience for many years,
and even enjoy a tolerable share of health; particularly so among the
Chippeways who I believe to be better skilled in the uce of those simples
than any nation of Savages in North America. The Chippeways use a
decoction of the root of the Lobelia, and that of a species of sumac
common to the Atlantic states and to this country near and on the Western
side of the Rocky Mountains. this is the smallest species of the sumac,
readily distinguished by it’s winged rib, or common footstalk, which
supports it’s oppositely pinnate leaves. these decoctions are drank freely
and without limitation. the same decoctions are used in cases of the
gonnaerea and are effecatious and sovereign. notwithstanding that this
disorder dose exist among the Indians on the Columbia yet it is witnessed
in but few individuals, at least the males who are always sufficiently
exposed to the observations or inspection of the phisician. in my whole
rout down this river I did not see more than two or three with the
gonnaerea and about double that number with the pox.
The beary which the natives call solme is the production of a plant about
the size and much the shape of that common to the atlantic states which
produces the berry commonly called Solloman’s seal berry. this berry also
is attatched to the top of the stem in the same manner; and is of a
globelar form, consisting of a thin soft pellecle which encloses a soft
pulp inveloping from three to four seeds, white, firm, smothe, and in the
form of a third or quarter of a globe, and large in proportion to the
fruit or about the size of the seed of the common small grape. this berry
when grown and unripe is not speckled as that of the Solomon’s seal berry
is; this last has only one globular smoth white firm seed in each
berry.the Solme grows in the woodlands among the moss and is an annual
plant to all appearance.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Tuesday January 27th 1806. This morning Collins set out for the Salt works. In the evening Shannon returned and reported that he and his party had killed ten elk. He left Labuche and R. Fields with the elk. Two of those elk, he informed us, were at a distance of nine miles from this place near the top of a mountain, and the route by which they must be brought was at least four miles by land through a country almost inaccessible due to fallen timber, brush, and sinkholes, which were now disguised by the snow. We therefore concluded to give up those two elk for the present, and ordered every man who could be spared from the fort to go early in the morning in search of the other eight.
Goodrich has recovered from the lues venerea (syphilis) which he contracted from an amorous encounter with a Chinnook (Chinook) damsel. I cured him as I did Gibson last winter by the use of mercury. I cannot learn that the Indians have any simple remedies that are sovereign specifics in the cure of this disease; and indeed I doubt very much whether any of them have any means of effecting a perfect cure. Once this disorder is contracted by them it continues with them during life, but always ends in decrepitude, death, or premature old age. Though from the use of certain simple remedies together with their diet, they endure this disorder with but little inconvenience for many years, and even enjoy a tolerable share of health, particularly so among the Chippeways (Chippewas), who I believe are better skilled in the use of those remedies than any nation of natives in North America. The Chippeways use a decoction of the root of the Lobelia, and that of a species of sumac common to the Atlantic states and to this country near and on the western side of the Rocky Mountains. This is the smallest species of sumac, readily distinguished by its winged rib, or common footstalk, which supports its oppositely pinnate leaves. These decoctions are drunk freely and without limitation. The same decoctions are used in cases of gonorrhea and are effective and sovereign. Although this disorder does exist among the Indians on the Columbia, it is seen in but few individuals, at least among the males, who are always sufficiently exposed to the observation or inspection of the physician. In my whole route down this river I did not see more than two or three with gonorrhea and about double that number with the pox.
The berry which the natives call solme is the product of a plant about the size and much the shape of the one common to the Atlantic states that produces the berry commonly called Solomon's seal berry. This berry is also attached to the top of the stem in the same manner; and is of a globular form, consisting of a thin soft skin which encloses a soft pulp enveloping from three to four seeds, white, firm, smooth, and in the shape of a third or quarter of a globe, and large in proportion to the fruit, or about the size of the seed of the common small grape. This berry when grown and unripe is not speckled as that of the Solomon's seal berry is; the latter has only one globular, smooth, white, firm seed in each berry. The solme grows in the woodlands among the moss and is, by all appearances, an annual plant.
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