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Molly Orcutt - The Indian Doctress Woman
Written by Jacques Boisvert © April l8, l986
for the la société d'histoire du lac Memphrémagog
In the fall or early winter of 1799 a barrel of whisky, a half barrel
of brandy and a half barrel of gin arrived in Troy, Vermont. As you can imagine, an arrival of this kind broke the monotony in the village awfully fast. There were a lot of drinking parties which often ended in a fight. Rev. Charles Stewart in 18l7 wrote about the present state of Eastern Townships: "Were they long to continue in this state, they would degenerate into barbarism"
Two guys from Potton, a short distance from Troy, named Perkins and Norris got into an argument at one of the parties and it finished in a fight. "In the contest Norris fell, or was knocked into a great fire that was burning in the huge Dutchback chimney which was in the room." Norris' hair and clothes were severely scorched, but the main injury was in one hand which was badly burned. The skin was hanging of his hand and the nerves were exposed. There was no doctor in the vicinity and no one could do anything for him.
Someone suggested going to get Molly Orcutt, the Indian doctress woman who lived on Lake Memphremagog which was quite close. Some friends went to get her and brought her back right away. She looked at Norris' hand, her medicine was an application of warm milk punch; bandaged up his hand and built her camp near by so she could be near until he got better and the hand was restored. At the time, it was believed that Molly was l22 years old. Molly's fame as a doctress was now raised.
The same winter the dysentery broke out with violence, particularly among children, and Molly's services were again solicited, and she again undertook the work of mercy and again she succeeded. But in this case Molly maintained all the reserve and taciturnity of her race, she retained the nature of her prescription to herself, she prepared her nostrum in her own camp, and brought it in a coffee pot to her patients, and refused to divulge the ingredients of her prescription to any one; but chance and gratitude drew it from her.
In March, Molly was on her way to Derby to see her daughter, who was married to a white man who lived on the Connecticut River. On her way there she met Josiah Elkins who lived with his wife in Peacham, Vermont. Mr Elkins became one of the first white settlers in Potton Township and he had heard of Molly's exploits. He asked her what she had with her for food to make such a long trip; he found she had only a little bread.
Mr Elkins, who was well known for his usual generosity, immediately cut a slice of pork of 5 or 6 pounds out of the barrel he was carrying home, and gave it to her. Molly, who was usually very reserved broke into a smile and could not stop thanking him for his generosity. "Now you have been so good to me", she exclaimed, "I will tell you how I cured the folks this Winter of the dysentery," and told him her receipt. It was nothing more than a decoction of the inner bark of the spruce. - At the time of these events the town of Troy was then called Missisco.
Molly was found dead on White Cap Mountain near East Andover, Maine in 1817. She had gone to the area to pick blueberries. When her body was found it had been partially eaten by wild animals.
Molly was born around 1677 and had lived on Lake Memphremagog for about l00 years before the arrival of the first white man. Her age was established by the late Reverend G.R. Hall, a Vermont historian who wrote that he often spoke with Molly during the years of the Canadian American War, 1812-1816 (Was she spying for the VIA - Vermont Intelligence Agency?). Hall was considered a scholar by Dr. Jon M. Currier another famous historian who lived in Newport. He said he knew Hall well and met him several times, and that he could vouch for his
probity.
A pertinent fact remains in all this. Molly was a prominent figure in the history of our beautiful Lake Memphremagog, or Lake Mamhlawbagak as her ancestors called it in those days.
Jacques Boisvert © April l8, l986 - for: la société d'histoire du lac Memphrémagog
