We gave her thirty drops of laudanum, and after
administering eye-water, rubbing the rheumatic patients with volatile
liniment, and giving cathartics to others, they all thought themselves
much relieved and returned highly satisfied to the village. We were
fortunate enough to retake one of the horses on which we (Captain Lewis)
had crossed the Rocky Mountains in the autumn, and which had become
almost wild since that time."
A day or two later, the journal has this significant entry: "On
parcelling out the stores, the stock of each man was found to be only
one awl, and one knitting-pin, half an ounce of vermilion, two needles,
a few skeins of thread, and about a yard of ribbon--a slender means of
bartering for our subsistence; but the men have been so much accustomed
to privations that now neither the want of meat nor the scanty funds
of the party excites the least anxiety among them." To add to their
discomfort, there was a great deal of sickness in the camp, owing to the
low diet of the men. Sacajawea's baby was ill with mumps and teething,
and it is suggested that the two captains would have been obliged to
"walk the floor all night," if there had been any floor to walk on; as
it was, they were deprived of their nightly rest. Here is an example
of what the doctors would call heroic treatment by Captain Clark, who
conducted all such experiments:--
"With one of the men (Bratton) we have ventured an experiment of a very
robust nature. He has been for some time sick, but has now recovered his
flesh, eats heartily, and digests well, but has so great a weakness in
the loins that he cannot walk or even sit upright without extreme pain.
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