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"we set 5 men at work to build a Canoe for the purpose of takeing fish and passing the river and for which we can get a good horse. we devided our Store of merchindize amongst our party for the purpose of precureing some roots of the nativs to each mans part amounted to about an awl knitting pin a little paint and some thread & 2 needles which is but a Scanty dependance for roots to take us over those Great snowey Barriers (rocky mountains) which is and will be the cause of our Detention in this neighbourhood probably untill the 10 or 15 of June." Clark May 22, 1806 "Shabonos son a small child is very ill this evening*. he is cuting teeth and for several days past has had a violent lax, which having suddonly stopped he was attached with a high fever and his neck and throat are much swolen this evening. we gave him a doze cream of tarter** and flour of sulpher and applyed a poltice of boiled onions to his neck as warm as he could well bear it. " Lewis child is very ill this evening* - Jean Baptiste's illness has been variously diagnosed. Coues suspected mumps. Cutright believes it was tonsillitis complicated by an infected cervical lymph gland. Chuinard opts for either an external abscess on the neck or mastoiditis, although the boy does not seem to have suffered later from any of the likely aftereffects of mastoiditis. cream of tarter / sulpher ** - Cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) would operate as a diuretic and cathartic. Sulphur would only serve as a fungicide and insecticide. May 23, 1806 "The child is something better this morning than it was last night. we apply a fresh poltice of the wild onions which we repeeted twice in the course of the day. the Swelling does not appear to increas any since yesterday. The 4 Indians who visited us to day informed us that they Came from their village on Lewis's river two days ride from this place for the purpose of seeing of us and getting a little eye water I washed their eyes with some eyewater and they all left us at 2 PM. " Clark May 24, 1806 "The child was very wrestless last night; it’s jaw and the back of it’s neck are much more swolen than they were yesterday tho’ his fever has abated considerably. we gave it a doze of creem of tarter and applyed a fresh poltice of onions" Lewis May 25, 1806 "The child is not so well to day as yesterday. I repeeted the creem of tarter which did not operate, we therefore gave it a clyster* in the evening. we caused a sweat to be preprared for the indian Cheif in the same manner in which Bratton had been sweated, this we attempted but were unable to succeed, as he was unable to set up or be supported in the place. we informed the indians that we knew of no releif for him except sweatin him in their sweat houses and giving him a plenty of the tea of the horsemint which we shwed them. and that this would probably nos succeed as he had been so long in his present situation. I am confident that this would be an excellent subject for electricity and much regret that I have it not in my power to supply it** " Lewis clyster* - An enema power to supply it** - Benjamin Franklin had experimented with electricity in treating paralytic cases, with indifferent results, and by 1800 it had acquired some popularity in treating various diseases. Lewis could have learned of this from Benjamin Rush in Philadelphia in 1803, if he was not already aware of it. Its value in this case would have been primarily psychological. May 26, 1806 " The child something better this morning. we directed the indians in what manner to treat the diseased Cheif, gave him a few dozes of flour of sulpher and Creem of tartar & some portable soupe and directed them to take him home. they seemed unwilling to comply with the latter part of the injunction for they consumed the day and remained with us all night." May 27, 1806 "Charbonon’s son is much better today, tho’ the swelling on the side of his neck I believe will terminate in an ugly abscess a little below the ear." May 28, 1806 "The sick Chief is much better this morning he can use his hands and arms and seems much pleased with the prospects of recovering, Shabonos child is better this day than he was yesterday."
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