SWANTON: CATAWBA NOTES 627 



I°yab wap (or warop) kri'^here, "good for toothache," Hy- 

 poxis hirsuta. The roots were pulled up and chewed and some 

 of the chewed root inserted into the cavity in the affected tooth. 



Witsagua°-i skampatcT'a, Parthenium integrifolium. When a 

 horse had a sore back the leaves were burned and the ashes ap- 

 plied to it. People sometimes placed the fresh leaves over burns. 



Wete woropkere, Psoralea pedunculata, popularly called "bald 

 roots." The roots of this plant were scraped fine, beaten, and 

 stirred up in water and the decoction applied internally and ex- 

 ternally to sores or cancers. The cure was said to be infallible. 



Witi si°ware, "blossoming medicine." This has a flower like 

 that of self-heal but larger. The roots were used in cases of 

 backache and by women. 



Sureare, Marshallia obovata, a wild clover, used in certain 

 diseases. 



Waswa'^ wetiware. Prunella vulgaris, used in certain diseases. 



The bark of the shppery elm was used in cases of consumption. 



The itl wiye'', "yellow root," from which the yellow basketry 

 dye was obtained, was chewed to heal a sore mouth. 



The wayuk, or "coon roots," mentioned as used in dyeing 

 baskets, were also fed to animals to make them lively and im- 

 prove their appetites. 



From broomweed roots they made a drink to administer 

 to malarial patients, and from its stalks, cut up and mixed with 

 water, an eyewash. 



A few medicines non-vegetal in character, were also spoken 

 of. It was thought that chills might be cured by swallowing a 

 grandaddy-long-legs rolled up in dough. Rattlesnake rattles 

 were hung about the head to cure headache. In order that new- 

 born babies might have long lives the heart of a "couter" turtle 

 was dried, beaten fine, and stirred up in water which the child 

 was made to drink. To improve the speech of a child unable 

 to talk plainly the green burrs of the sweet gum were taken at 

 the time when they first come out and burnt to an ash which 

 the child was made to blow upon. 



When a marriage took place among the older Catawba the 

 couple was seated back to back and a white cloth thrown over 



