Charbonneau's son, a small child, is
dangerously ill. His jaw and throat much swelled. We apply a poultice of
onions, after giving him some cream of tartar, &c. This day proved to
be fine and fair, which afforded us an opportunity of drying our baggage,
which had got a little wet. Captain Clark, 22 May 1806
The child is something better this morning
than it was last night. We applied a fresh poultice of the wild onion,
which we repeated twice in the course of the day. The swelling does not
appear to increase any since yesterday. The 4 Indians who visited us today
informed us that they came from their village on Lewis's River, two days'
ride from this place, for the purpose of seeing us and getting a little
eye-water. I washed their eyes with some eye-water, and they all left us
at 2 P.M. and returned to the villages on the opposite side of this river. Captain Clark, 23 May 1806
The child was very restless last night. Its
jaw and back of its neck is much more swollen than it was yesterday. I
gave it a dose of cream of tartar and a fresh poultice of onions. Ordered
Shields, Gibson, Drouilliard, Cruzat, Collins, and Joe and Reuben Fields
to turn out hunting and if possible cross Collins Creek and hunt toward
the quamash fields. [Note from Wally: Quamash is our
Common Camas (Camassia
Quamash)]W. Bratton is yet 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 which the fire was taken out, 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 him to throw on the bottom and the sides of the hole, so as to
create as great a heat as he could bear, and the hole covered with
blankets supported by hoops. After about twenty minutes, the patient was
taken out and put in cold water a few minutes and returned to the hole, in
which he was kept about an hour, then 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 l l 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. This man I had given a few doses of flowers of sulphur and
cream of tartar and directed that he should take the cold bath every
morning. He conceded 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 l as medicine. Captain
Clark, 24 May 1806
The child something better this morning,
though the swelling yet continues. We still apply the onion poultice. I
directed what should be done for the disabled man, gave him a few doses of
cream of tartar and flowers of sulphur, and some portable soup and
directed that he should be taken home and sweated, etc. Captain
Clark, 26 May 1806
Charbonneau's child is much better today,
though the swelling on the side of his neck, I believe, will terminate in
an ugly imposthume, a little below the ear. The Indians were so anxious
that the sick chief (who has lost the use of his limbs ) should be sweated
under our inspection, they requested me to make a second attempt today.
Accordingly, the hole was enlarged, and his father a very good-looking old
man performed all the drudgery, etc. We could not make him sweat as
copiously as we wished, being compelled to keep him erect in the hole by
means of cords. After the operation, he complained of considerable pain. I
gave him thirty drops of laudanum, which soon composed him, and he rested
very well. Captain Clark, 27 May 1806
