294 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I33 



then gave me some nice clothes. I was 15 years old then. No, I was 

 not given any herbal decoctions." Several informants spoke of a 

 girl's voice changing about the time of her first menses. 



There were no taboos regarding the use of dishes by menstruating 

 women. "No one ever used anyone else's dishes at any time; every- 

 one in the family had his own plate or bowl, and spoon. And each 

 one knew his own, because his mark was engraved on his own, such 

 as a bird or a tree, or some such mark." She continued, "My mother 

 was right : it ended before I was 50 years old. I had my last child 

 when I was 44. Soon after that I had irregular periods, hot spells, 

 was dizzy always, my teeth ached ; but all this ended too." 



Of a menstruating woman it is said, "She experiences the moon." 

 Of a woman past menopause it is said, "She no longer experiences the 

 moon." 



ADULT BEHAVIOR 



CARE OF THE HAIR, BATHING, PERSONAL ADORNMENTS, 

 PERSONAL APPEARANCE 



A low hairline, an Araucanian trait, was not desired ; neither was 

 facial hair. Ashes, "any ashes from the fireplace," were rubbed on a 

 boy's face to keep him from having facial hair. A considerable growth 

 of hair on the forehead was removed by smearing either dough or 

 flour mixed with water, or a paste of blood and ashes, over the fore- 

 head, letting it dry, and then rubbing it back and forth, thus pulling 

 out the hair — a process called "cleaning the forehead" (liftun-tol). 

 If there were only single hairs, they were jerked out with the fingers, 

 or with a finger and the help of an implement, like a stone. Baldness 

 occurred when a man reached 100 or more years of age. "My father 

 was 130 years old, so old that he lost all his hair." 



The hair is washed when bathing. A lather of leaves of chacay 

 is used in place of soap, as formerly, especially by those who cannot 

 afford soap. If a luster is desired, the hair, when dry, is saturated with 

 several-days-old urine, an act called kiillaitun. Bathing is done in 

 creeks, rivers, or lakes. Many persons bathe daily. 



A hairbrush was made from the roots of "a plant that grows on 

 trees." The roots were wound about with narrow strips of bark to 

 form a handle; the other ends of the plant were used in brushing. 

 Such a brush in the collections of Parque Nacional de Lanin (speci- 

 men No. 'J']') is 14 inches long and 6 inches in circumference at 

 brush end. 



Formerly, every adult person wore silver ornaments. These were 

 earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and studdings on belts. Women 



