Poison Doctor — Miwok

Most doctors are trained to suck a poison out of a sick person, but a poison doctor is trained to insert a poison to sicken a person. The poison doctor must be careful; he must live apart. His poison is like a fire that must be controlled so it doesn’t burn more than it should. He rolls a log around, shouts his victim’s name, and commands his poison to shoot into his victim’s head or heart. Both kinds of doctors are paid for their services. Some grievances cannot be resolved any way other than by hiring a poisoner.