Goldie. — Maori Medical Lore. 115 



used in insanity. The juice of the so-called berries (pakaraka) 

 fermented with sea-weed (karengo) is taken to counteract the 

 costiveness caused by eating totara, rimu, or karaka berries. 

 From the leaves steeped in water with other plants is made a 

 lotion used as an application to wounds. 



Leguminosce. 

 Edwarsia microphylla. (Kowhai.) 



An infusion of the bark of the kowhai and manuka trees is 

 drunk for internal pains, and is applied externally for pains in 

 the back or side. The inner bark of kowhai is used for hakihaki 

 (itch). 



Rosacea. 



Rubus australis. (Aka taramoa, Tataramoa ; Bush-lawyer.) 



The bark of this climber is boiled and the liquor taken as a 

 purgative in cases of severe abdominal pain. If it does not act 

 quickly, a decoction made from the taivhero is taken. It is also 

 used in the vapour bath taken by women during the puerperium 

 to promote lochial discharge. A decoction is taken to relieve 

 dysmenorrhcea. 



Geum urbanum, Linn. (Kopata.) 



The astringent properties of the leaf are utilised in diarrhoea 

 and dysentery, and are also chewed for foul breath (Armitage). 



Accena sanguisorbce, Vahl. (Hutiwai, Piripiri.) 



The leaves, boiled or steeped in hot water, are applied to open 

 wounds, or rubbed on contusions. A lotion similarly prepared 

 is applied to the external genitals (in women ?) in cases of painful 

 micturition (E. Best). The plant is also used medicinally by the 

 South Island natives (Hooker). 



Saxifragece. 

 W einmannia racemosa, Forst. (Tawhero, Towai.) 



The bark from the west side of the tree, from which the outer 

 rind has been scraped off, is steeped in hot water, and the decoc- 

 tion taken internally as an aperient in cases of abdominal and 

 thoracic pains. 



Haloragea?. 



Cercodia erecta, Murr. (Toatoa.) 



A stiff - growing herb, used medicinally by the Maoris. 

 (T. Kirk.) 



Myrtacece. 



Myrtus obcordata. (Rohutu.) 



A preparation of the bark and berries is used by the Tuhoe 

 natives in cases of dysmenorrhcea (difficult menstruation). 



