[originaltext] The Medicine Man

The Medicine Man
     Among the Indians of North American the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illness and he could speak to the spirits. The spirits are the supernatural forces that controlled the world.
     The Indians believed that bad spirits made people ill. So, when people were ill, the medicine man tried to help them by using magic. He speaks to the good spirits and asked for their help.
     The medicine men were often successful for another reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illnesses. A lot of modem medicines are made from plants that were used by medicine men hundreds of years ago.