An Indian chief was feeling very sick, so he summoned the medicine man to his teepee. After a brief examination, the medicine man cut off a thong of elk hide from his belt and gave it to the chief, instructing him to bit off, chew and swallow 1" of leather every day.
After one month, the medicine man returned to see how the chief was feeling. The chief answered, "the thong is ended, but the malady lingers on."