CALIFORNIAN HEBB-LOnE. 163 



Barbasco by the natives, is used by both Spaniards and 

 Americans for the rheumatism. It is sometimes boiled and 

 applied as a hot poultice, and sometimes made into a salve 

 by mixing the crushed or dry and powdered leaves with 



tallow. 



The Heleniaslriim pitbertilum from our water courses is 

 called Sneezeweed in prosaic English, but Rosilla in Span- 

 ish. It is used in the form of powder for catarrh, and is 

 said to be used also as a tonic and anti-scorbutic. 



The next remedy seems so like a concoction made by the 

 "weird sisters" that I have hesitated long to present it as a 

 sober fact My only excuse is that it is actually used now 

 in many Spanish families on this Coast, who vouch for its 

 efficacy. The complex mixture is called Lejia, the Spanish 

 for lye, and is used in cases of stoppage of food in the stom- 

 ach and other forms of indigtestion. 



Boots of Malva parviflora and Pceonia Californica are 

 cut in pieces and boiled with Elderberry blossoms, the 



Matricaria 



known 



leaves and pieces of DisUchlis mariUma^ familiarly 

 as Salt Grass; to all this some add soil which has been 

 burned until it is red, and other good authorities put in bits 

 of beef, beans and other vegetables. The mixture is^ then 

 strained and administered to the eager patient. It is not 

 cooled ''with a baboon's blood," but remarkable cures are 

 reported, nevertheless, from its use. 



The Pceonia Californica taken alone has a good reputa^ 

 tion as a remedy for indigestion. 



