the golden bough-第7部分

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　made　of　tumeric　or　curcuma　（a　yellow　plant）；　set　him　on　a　bed；　tied　three　yellow　birds；　to　wit；　a　parrot；　a　thrush；　and　a　yellow　wagtail；　by　means　of　a　yellow　string　to　the　foot　of　the　bed；　then　pouring　water　over　the　patient；　he　washed　off　the　yellow　porridge；　and　with　it　no　doubt　the　jaundice；　from　him　to　the　birds。　After　that；　by　way　of　giving　a　final　bloom　to　his　complexion；　he　took　some　hairs　of　a　red　bull；　wrapt　them　in　gold　leaf；　and　glued　them　to　the　patient's　skin。　The　ancients　held　that　if　a　person　suffering　from　jaundice　looked　sharply　at　a　stone…curlew；　and　the　bird　looked　steadily　at　him；　he　was　cured　of　the　disease。　Such　is　the　nature；　says　Plutarch；　and　such　the　temperament　of　the　creature　that　it　draws　out　and　receives　the　malady　which　issues；　like　a　stream；　through　the　eyesight。　So　well　recognised　among　birdfanciers　was　this　valuable　property　of　the　stone…curlew　that　when　they　had　one　of　these　birds　for　sale　they　kept　it　carefully　covered；　lest　a　jaundiced　person　should　look　at　it　and　be　cured　for　nothing。　The　virtue　of　the　bird　lay　not　in　its　colour　but　in　its　large　golden　eye；　which　naturally　drew　out　the　yellow　jaundice。　Pliny　tells　of　another；　or　perhaps　the　same；　bird；　to　which　the　Greeks　gave　their　name　for　jaundice；　because　if　a　jaundiced　man　saw　it；　the　disease　left　him　and　slew　the　bird。　He　mentions　also　a　stone　which　was　supposed　to　cure　jaundice　because　its　hue　resembled　that　of　a　jaundiced　skin。

One　of　the　great　merits　of　homoeopathic　magic　is　that　it　enables　the　cure　to　be　performed　on　the　person　of　the　doctor　instead　of　on　that　of　his　victim；　who　is　thus　relieved　of　all　trouble　and　inconvenience；　while　he　sees　his　medical　man　writhe　in　anguish　before　him。　For　example；　the　peasants　of　Perche；　in　France；　labour　under　the　impression　that　a　prolonged　fit　of　vomiting　is　brought　about　by　the　patient's　stomach　becoming　unhooked；　as　they　call　it；　and　so　falling　down。　Accordingly；　a　practitioner　is　called　in　to　restore　the　organ　to　its　proper　place。　After　hearing　the　symptoms　he　at　once　throws　himself　into　the　most　horrible　contortions；　for　the　purpose　of　unhooking　his　own　stomach。　Having　succeeded　in　the　effort；　he　next　hooks　it　up　again　in　another　series　of　contortions　and　grimaces；　while　the　patient　experiences　a　corresponding　relief。　Fee　five　francs。　In　like　manner　a　Dyak　medicine…man；　who　has　been　fetched　in　a　case　of　illness；　will　lie　down　and　pretend　to　be　dead。　He　is　accordingly　treated　like　a　corpse；　is　bound　up　in　mats；　taken　out　of　the　house；　and　deposited　on　the　ground。　After　about　an　hour　the　other　medicine…men　loose　the　pretended　dead　man　and　bring　him　to　life；　and　as　he　recovers；　the　sick　person　is　supposed　to　recover　too。　A　cure　for　a　tumour；　based　on　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　magic；　is　prescribed　by　Marcellus　of　Bordeaux；　court　physician　to　Theodosius　the　First；　in　his　curious　work　on　medicine。　It　is　as　follows。　Take　a　root　of　vervain；　cut　it　across；　and　hang　one　end　of　it　round　the　patient's　neck；　and　the　other　in　the　smoke　of　the　fire。　As　the　vervain　dries　up　in　the　smoke；　so　the　tumour　will　also　dry　up　and　disappear。　If　the　patient　should　afterwards　prove　ungrateful　to　the　good　physician；　the　man　of　skill　can　avenge　himself　very　easily　by　throwing　the　vervain　into　water；　for　as　the　root　absorbs　the　moisture　once　more；　the　tumour　will　return。　The　same　sapient　writer　recommends　you；　if　you　are　troubled　with　pimples；　to　watch　for　a　falling　star；　and　then　instantly；　while　the　star　is　still　shooting　from　the　sky；　to　wipe　the　pimples　with　a　cloth　or　anything　that　comes　to　hand。　Just　as　the　star　falls　from　the　sky；　so　the　pimples　will　fall　from　your　body；　only　you　must　be　very　careful　not　to　wipe　them　with　your　bare　hand；　or　the　pimples　will　be　transferred　to　it。

Further；　homoeopathic　and　in　general　sympathetic　magic　plays　a　great　part　in　the　measures　taken　by　the　rude　hunter　or　fisherman　to　secure　an　abundant　supply　of　food。　On　the　principle　that　like　produces　like；　many　things　are　done　by　him　and　his　friends　in　deliberate　imitation　of　the　result　which　he　seeks　to　attain；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　many　things　are　scrupulously　avoided　because　they　bear　some　more　or　less　fanciful　resemblance　to　others　which　would　really　be　disastrous。

Nowhere　is　the　theory　of　sympathetic　magic　more　systematically　carried　into　practice　for　the　maintenance　of　the　food　supply　than　in　the　barren　regions　of　Central　Australia。　Here　the　tribes　are　divided　into　a　number　of　totem　clans；　each　of　which　is　charged　with　the　duty　of　multiplying　their　totem　for　the　good　of　the　community　by　means　of　magical　ceremonies。　Most　of　the　totems　are　edible　animals　and　plants；　and　the　general　result　supposed　to　be　accomplished　by　these　ceremonies　is　that　of　supplying　the　tribe　with　food　and　other　necessaries。　Often　the　rites　consist　of　an　imitation　of　the　effect　which　the　people　desire　to　produce；　in　other　words；　their　magic　is　homoeopathic　or　imitative。　Thus　among　the　Warramunga　the　headman　of　the　white　cockatoo　totem　seeks　to　multiply　white　cockatoos　by　holding　an　effigy　of　the　bird　and　mimicking　its　harsh　cry。　Among　the　Arunta　the　men　of　the　witchetty　grub　totem　perform　ceremonies　for　multiplying　the　grub　which　the　other　members　of　the　tribe　use　as　food。　One　of　the　ceremonies　is　a　pantomime　representing　the　fully…developed　insect　in　the　act　of　emerging　from　the　chrysalis。　A　long　narrow　structure　of　branches　is　set　up　to　imitate　the　chrysalis　case　of　the　grub。　In　this　structure　a　number　of　men；　who　have　the　grub　for　their　totem；　sit　and　sing　of　the　creature　in　its　various　stages。　Then　they　shuffle　out　of　it　in　a　squatting　posture；　and　as　they　do　so　they　sing　of　the　insect　emerging　from　the　chrysalis。　This　is　supposed　to　multiply　the　numbers　of　the　grubs。　Again；　in　order　to　multiply　emus；　which　are　an　important　article　of　food；　the　men　of　the　emu　totem　paint　on　the　ground　the　sacred　design　of　their　totem；　especially　the　parts　of　the　emu　which　they　like　best　to　eat；　namely；　the　fat　and　the　eggs。　Round　this　painting　the　men　sit　and　sing。　Afterwards　performers；　wearing　head…dresses　to　represent　the　long　neck　and　small　head　of　the　emu；　mimic　the　appearance　of　the　bird　as　it　stands　aimlessly　peering　about　in　all　directions。

The　Indians　of　British　Columbia　live　largely　upon　the　fish　which　abound　in　their　seas　and　rivers。　If　the　fish　do　not　come　in　due　season；　and　the　Indians　are　hungry；　a　Nootka　wizard　will　make　an　image　of　a　swimming　fish　and　put　it　into　the　water　in　the　direction　from　which　the　fish　generally　appear。　This　ceremony；　accompanied　by　a　prayer　to　the　fish　to　come；　will　cause　them　to　arrive　at　once。　The　islanders　of　Torres　Straits　use　models　of　dugong　and　turtles　to　charm　dugong　and　turtle　to　their　destruction。　The　Toradjas　of　Central　Celebes　believe　that　things　of　the　same　sort　attract　each　other　by　means　of　their　indwelling　spirits　or　vital　ether。　Hence　they　hang　up　the　jawbones　of　deer　and　wild　pigs　in　their　houses；　in　order　that　the　spirits　which　animate　these　bones　may　draw　the　living　creatures　of　the　same　kind　into　the　path　of　the　hunter。　In　the　island　of　Nias；　when　a　wild　pig　has　fallen　into　the　pit　prepared　for　it；　the　animal　is　taken　out　and　its　back　is　rubbed　with　nine　fallen　leaves；　in　the　belief　that　this　will　make　nine　more　wild　pigs　fall

into　the　pit；　just　as　the　nine　leaves　fell　from　the　tree。　In　the　East　Indian　islands　of　Saparoea；　Haroekoe；　and　Noessa　Laut；　when　a　fisherman　is　about　to　set　a　trap　for　fish　in　the　sea；　he　looks　out　for　a　tree；　of　which　the　fruit　has　been　much　pecked　at　by　birds。　From　such　a　tree　he　cuts　a　stout　branch　and　makes　of　it　the　principal　post　in　his　fish…trap；　for　he　believes　that；　just　as　the　tree　lured　many　birds　to　its　fruit；　so　the　branch　cut　from　that　tree　will　lure　many　fish　to　the　trap。

The　western　tribes　of　British　New　Guinea　employ　a　charm　to　aid　the　hunter　in　spearing　dugong　or　turtle。　A　small　beetle；　which　haunts　coco…nut　trees；　is　placed　in　the　hole　of　the　spear…haft　into　which　the　spear…head　fits。　This　is　supposed　to　make　the　spear…head　stick　fast　in　the　dugong　or　turtle；　just　as　the　beetle　sticks　fast　to　a　man's　skin　when　it　bites　him。　When　a　Cambodian　hunter　has　set　his　nets　and　taken　nothing；　he　strips　himself　naked；　goes　some　way　off；　then　strolls　up　to　the　net　as　if　he　did　not　see　it；　lets　himself　be　caught　in　it；　and　cries；　Hillo！　what's　this？　I'm　afraid　I'm　caught。　After　that　the　net　is　sure　to　catch　game。　A　pantomime　of　the　same　sort　has　been　acted　within　the　living　memory　in　our　Scottish　Highlands。　The　Rev。　James　Macdonald；　now　of　Reay　in　Caithness；　tells　us　that　in　his　boyhood　when　he　was　fishing　with　companions　about　Loch　Aline　and　they　had　had　no　bites　for　a　long　time；　they　used　to　make　a　pretence　of　throwing　one　of　their　fellows　overboard　and　hauling　him　out　of　the　water；　as　if　he　were　a　fish；　after　that　the　trout　or　silloch　would　begin　to　nibble；　according　as　the　boat　was　on　fresh　or　salt　water。　Before　a　Carrier　Indian　goes　out　to　snare　martens；　he　sleeps　by　himself　for　about　ten　nights　beside　the　fire　with　a　little　stick　pressed　down　on　his　neck。　This　naturally　causes　the　fall…stick　of　his　trap　to　drop　down　on　the　neck　of　the　marten。　Among　the　Galelareese；　who　inhabit　a　district　in　the　northern　part　of　Halmahera；　a　large　island　to　the　west　of　New　Guinea；　it　is　a　maxim　that　when　you　are　loading　your　gun　to　go　out　shooting；　you　should　always　put　the　bullet　in　your　mouth　before　you　insert　it　in　the　gun；　for　by　so　doing　you　practically　eat　the　game　that　is　to　be　hit　by　the　bullet；　which　therefore　cannot　possibly　miss　the　mark。　A　Malay　who　has　baited　a　trap　for　crocodiles；　and　is　awaiting　results；　is　careful　in　eating　his　curry　always　to　begin　by　swallowing　three　lumps　of　rice　successively；　for　this　helps　the　bait　to　slide　more　easily　down　the　crocodile's　throat。　He　is　equally　scrupulous　not　to　take　any　bones　out　of　his　curry；　for；　if　he　did；　it　seems　clear　that　the　sharp…pointed　stick　on　which　the　bait　is　skewered　would　similarly　work　itself　loose；　and　the　crocodile　would　get　off　with　the　bait。　Hence　in　these　circumstances　it　is　prudent　for　the　hunter；　before　he　begins　his　meal；　to　get　somebody　else　to　take　the　bones　out　of　his　curry；　otherwise　he　may　at　any　moment　have　to　choose　between　swallowing　a　bone　and　losing　the　crocodile。

This　last　rule　is　an　in