It is considered a specific in all throat troubles .... In the case of 
pharyngitis it is used externally and internally. The rhizome is 
chewed and the saliva allowed to wash the throat. Poultices are 
made by mixing the powder with boiling water. (Flexon, 1897). 
Among the Iroquois, Sweet Flag has been valued as an aid for 
singing at ceremonials or pow-wows (Fenton, 1942). The Sioux 
still use Sweet Flag when they sing at ceremonials or pow-wows 
(Elk Boy, 1979; Primeaux, 1979). They place a small piece of the 
root in the mouth; the juices of the root are said to keep the 
throat clear while singing. Sweet Flag was also used by 
Europeans to clear the throat: 
When the rhizome is masticated, it is said to clear the voice, and it 
is sold by herbalists for this purpose ... (Bentley, 1880). 
Indians, especially those of hunting cultures, employed Sweet 
Flag as a carminative, emetic and cathartic for relief of gastro- 
intestinal discomforts. For example, the Abnaki of New Bruns- 
wick drank a warm decoction of Sweet Flag as a carminative to 
relieve stomach gas (Rousseau, 1946-1948). Because of irregular 
eating, due partly to dietary customs as well as lack of food, 
intestinal problems were common among peoples of the hunting 
economy: 
Digestive disturbances were frequent due to two conditions. First, 
spells of semi-starvation alternated with periods of abundance, 
during which they grossly overate. Second, it was the custom on 
hunting and war parties, or when the village was moving through 
hostile country, to abstain from food, not infrequently for several 
days at a time. These fasts were broken by an orgy of feasting 
(Stone, 1932). 
The diet and eating habits of the contemporary Indian are 
generally poor. The prevalence of alcoholism is a major cause of 
semi-starved families; the diet is largely one of greasy food. 
Among the Sioux, for example, Sweet Flag is still commonly 
used to relieve gastro-intestinal disturbances. 
Acorus Calamus was commonly employed as an analgesic. 
Several tribes applied Sweet Flag as toothache medicine, 
notably the Cree (Osmund, 1967), the Chippewa (Densmore, 
1928), and the Sioux, Omaha, Pawnee, and Winnebago (Gil- 
more, 1919). The Cree also valued the plant to relieve headaches 
(Osmund, 1967); Resident Nurse, 1943); the Sioux breathed in 
241 
