How medicine came to be used

Long, long ago, men and animals lived in great friendship together and could talk each other's language. They could understand each other very well. However, mankind multiplied and took up more and more of the land so that the poor animals got crowded out into the forests and desert places. Gradually friendship ended between them and men began to make weapons to kill animals for their flesh and skins.

At first, the animals were surprised that man could treat them in this way. Then the animals got angry and decided they must do something about it.

So the Great Bear Tribe called a big meeting, which was presided over by their chief, the Old White Bear. Many spoke of the cruel and terrible hunters that men had become and they decided to make war upon mankind. But then they realized that they did not have the same kind of weapons. It was suggested by one of the bears that man's wicked instruments should be turned against man himself. As it was with bows and arrows that man did his killing, the bears decided to make a bow. They got some suitable wood and one of the bears gave his life so that others could have gut to make the bowstring. When the bow was ready, it was discovered that the bears' claws caught in the bowstring and spoiled the shooting. However one of the bears cut his claws and managed to hit the mark. Then the Old White Bear pointed out that if they did not have claws, they could not climb trees to obtain food, like honey, and would therefore starve.

Now the deer also had a big meeting under their chief, "Little Deer", and they decided that any hunter who killed one of the deer tribe without asking pardon in a suitable way should get very bad rheumatism as a punishment. They sent a special notice to the nearest group of men, telling them what had been decided, and they sent instructions as to how they were to ask pardon if it were absolutely necessary to kill one of the deer. Thus, if a deer was slain, Chief Little Deer would run to the spot and, bending over the bloodstains, would ask the spirit of the slain deer if it had heard the prayer of the hunter for pardon. If the answer was "No", then the Chief would track the hunter to his cabin and strike him with rheumatism so that he became a helplessly crippled man.

The fish and the reptiles also held a meeting all together. They arranged to haunt cruel hunters with dreadful dreams of serpents twining around them, and dreams of eating bad fish!

Then, finally, the birds and insects and all the smaller animals gathered together, presided over by the little Glowworm. They each had much to say against man and they decided to strike mankind with other kinds of diseases.

During this time, the Plants, who were still friendly to man, heard what had been arranged and decided to help human beings. So each tree, shrub and herb and all grasses and mosses agreed to give a remedy for each of the diseases that were to afflict mankind.

So, when doctors wish to know what to prescribe, the Spirit of the Plant suggests itself. When man has foolishly done wrong to his fellow creatures and to himself, and so suffers, then there is medicine to heal and soothe.