[Treatments and Recovery]
They fancy that blood which circulated through the heart first turns into water, then coagulates or congeals, and shortly after becomes into solid imperforable or impenetrable ice. The only antidote or remedy for this is to give them large draughts of high-wines, double distilled spirits, or the spirits of wine, if any can be had the better. This taken in large draughts and frequently and kept beside a large fire flows to the heart and thaws the ice. If a profuse sweat ensues, it is a happy omen.
An Indian with me this winter gave out his apprehensions that he was thus tormented. I communicated it to two others who happened to come in about that time.
"Why do you not give him large draughts of your strongest spirits to drink and keep him in the room beside a large fire?"
I replied that I was afraid it would burn him.
"Oh no! If he is a real Windigo, it will only do him good by driving out the ice. But if he lies to you, indeed, then it certainly will injure him. But it will be good for him, and teach him for the future not to impose upon people to frighten them."
However, they are, in general, kind and extremely indulgent to those thus infected. They seem to consider it as an infliction and are desirous of doing all they can to assist. There are, however, many exceptions. But these again depend upon the circumstances attending them. One of my best hunters here is thus tormented, or at least thus torments himself, and very often desires his friends, in compassion, to put a period to [his] existence the first symptoms he may shew of cannibalism.
A young girl, lately married, and scarcely worth a filip so small and diminutive, was this winter seized with this phrensy. The consequence was that the men durst not leave the tent for any length of time, being obliged to assist the women in holding and preventing her from biting or eating any of the children and perhaps herself. They bethought of a sacrifice: cropping her hair—and short.
She recovered and is now well. She says, "I do not recollect any single one circumstance of all that is told me. I thought I was always on the tops of the trees."
There is another one of my Indians thus affected too. The Indians say it is a punishment (from some of their familiars, of course) for so lightly esteeming their ceremonies—nay indeed—and ridiculing them often. "This fall," he began: