Solomon O’Bail, an aged Seneca, living on the Cattaraugus Reservation, in 1884 had about a tablespoonful of the Great Bird-medicine in the form of powder.

Only a minute portion of this medicine, mixed with water, was needed. In putting the small portion of the powder into the cup of water O’Bail sprinkled a little on the east side of the cup, another portion on the west side, and still another on the side nearest to the lips of the patient. If all the powder remained on the surface of the water instead of mixing with it, the indication was that the patient must die; but if the powder dissolved completely in the water, this was taken as a sign that the patient would live. When the powder would not mix with the water the latter became of the consistency of sirup; but if it mixed, the water remained clear. When the medicine would not dissolve in the water the hochinagen403 knew that there was no help for the patient and would not give the medicine to him; but in case the powder dissolved in the water, the solution was given to the sick man to drink.

About 20 men on the Cattaraugus Reservation still had, in 1884, a small portion of this medicine. This medicine is the same as that which the birds made when they brought Bloody Hand to life. It is so powerful in orenda, or magic potency, that when it was given to the sick by the hochinagen the patient was forbidden to eat anything that was colored; he could eat, however, pure white beans and pure white cob corn. If anything black or in any manner colored was eaten, the taboo was broken, and the man or woman would die, as the medicine’s virtue was thus destroyed.

If another man came into the patient’s presence after having stopped to see a corpse on the way, and looked at the patient, the sick person would immediately grow worse and would die shortly thereafter. For this reason it was customary to hang up a skin or a blanket so that the patient should not by any chance see such a person.

It is said that medicine similar to this ancient bird medicine could be made, but no one knows how to make corn grow without seed corn.

When this Nikahnegaah was taken, the smell of burning or broiling meat had a bad effect on its virtues. During her catamenial periods a woman was not permitted to look at a person who had taken this medicine; if she did so he would surely die. Hence it was a standing rule that a patient who had taken this medicine should [492]not be seen by any one for four days except the person who was caring for him.

When a person who was ill desired to try this medicine, he or some friend was required to give a handful of native tobacco and some other small present to the person who had the medicine. The hochinagen could do what he pleased with the presents. The hochinagen would cast into the fire a piece of the tobacco, at the same time saying to the medicine, which he then held in his hand, “Take a smell of this tobacco, for I am about to make use of you.” Then he would visit the sick man, and taking a small vessel he would go to a running stream, and after making an offering of tobacco to it in the name of the patient, he would dip up the water with the current, not against it. He took what water he could dip up in this manner.

If the sick man was not very ill, this one dose would cure him; but if he was very ill other hochinagen who have this same kind of medicine must come to assist in the cure. They must cook a kettle of white beans for themselves and the singers who come to sing that night; they would also give strength to the medicine by the burning of tobacco as directed by the birds.

The first sentence of the song is “Now, this is the medicine to be taken.” When the medicine is swallowed the words are, “Now, let it begin to work over all his body.”

If the patient recovered his health he must celebrate the event by preparing a feast, the chief dish of which must be a great kettle of hulled corn seasoned with meat or venison cut into small pieces.

The hochinagen who gave him the medicine must come to sing and dance in honor of the medicine through whose aid they were enabled to cure the patient. Some of the sentences employed in the songs are: “The spirits have come and they have cured the ill person”; “We now dismiss them with thanksgiving”; and then they sing the songs employed when preparing the medicine, of which some of the sentences are: “I have been to the place of the plant”; “I have been to the mountain”; “I have been at the falls”; “I have been beyond the clouds”; etc. After recess they use: “Now we have assembled where the tobacco is”; “Now they meet together, say the ducks”; “Now the deer with two prongs say, ‘We have assembled,’ ” and similar lines. Only hochinagen may sing at this feast. [493]