Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/137

 T&eir laws of uncleannefs and purification. 125

Ifraelitifh copy fo clofe, as to build a fmall hut at a confiderable diftance from the h'oufes of the village, for every one of their warriors wounded in war, and confine them there, (as the Jewifli lepers formerly were, without the walls of the city) for the fpace of four moons, including that moon in which they were wounded, as in the cafe of their women after travel : and they keep them ftrictly feparate, left the impurity of the one mould prevent the cure of the other: The reputed prophet, or divine phyfician, daily pays them a due attendance, always invoking YO HE WAH to blefs the means they apply on the fad occafion, which is chiefly mountain allum, and me dicinal herbs, always injoyning a very abftemious life, prohibiting them women and fait in particular, during the time of the cure, or fanclifying the reputed fmners. Like the Ifraelites, they firmly believe that fafety, or wounds, &c. immediately proceed from the pleafed, or angry deity, for their ' virtuous, or vicious conduct, in obferving, or violating the divine law*

In this long fpace of purification, each patient is allowed only a fuper- annuated woman to attend him, .who is paft the temptations of finning with men, left the introduction of a young one mould either feduce him to folly; or me having committed it with others or by not obferving her ~ appointed time of living apart from the reft, might thereby defile the place, and totally prevent the cure. But what is yet more furprifing in their phyfical, or rather theological regimen, is, that the phyfician is fo re- ligioufly cautious of not admitting polluted perfons to vifit any of his pa tients, left the defilement mould retard the cure,. or fpoil the warriors,, that before he introduces any man, even any of their priefts, who are married according to the law, he obliges him to aflcrt either by a double affirma tive, or by two negatives, that he has not known even his own wife, in ; the fpace of the laft natural day. This law of purity was peculiar to the Hebrews, to deem thofe unclean who cohabited with their wives, till they purified themfelves in clean water. Now as the heathen world oblerved no fuch law, it feems that the primitive Americans derived this religious cuftom alfo from divine precept, and that thefe ceremonial rites were origi* nally copied from the Mofaic inftitution.

The Ifraelites became unclean only by touching their dead, for the fpace of feven days; and the. high-prieft was prohibited to come near the dead. 'Tis much the fame with the Indians to this day. To pre vent pollution, when the fick. perfon is paft hope of recovery, they / 1 1 dig

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