ovalle's historical relation of chile. 



^9 



took away the diftemper, as if he had taken it away with his hand, the perfon being 

 never troubled with it more, all the time I knew him. 



I have feen many other cures performed by thefe Machis, particularly in cafes of 

 poifon ; for in that fort of diftemper they are very eminent. I fhall mention but one 

 inftance, of a gentleman who had been pining away for feveral years, and often at 

 death's door : once, being in extreme danger, he heard of a famous Machi who lived 

 a great way off, but was a fhe-doctor, (for there are women amongft them eminent in 

 the art :) he procured, by prefents, to have her fent for ; and having promifed her a 

 confiderable reward, befides what he gave her in hand, which he was well able to per- 

 form, being very rich and powerful, fhe began to apply her remedies, which were 

 herbs ; and one day, when Ihe faw his body prepared to part with the poifon, fhe 

 caufed a great filver voider to be fet in the middle of the room, and there, in the pre- 

 fence of many people, the gentleman having firft been very lick in his ftomach, he caft 

 up the poifon which had been given him many years before, wrapp'd up in hair, which 

 came up with it ; and he was perfectly well after this, as he himfelf related to me. 



Though, as I have faid, the Indians are fo clofe in keeping fecret the herbs they ufe, 

 yet many of them, perfuaded by reafon, and induced by friendfhip, do communicate 

 fomething : and time and experience has difcovered fo many more, that if I fliould 

 mention them all, I ftiould be forced to make a book on purpofe of them ; therefore 

 I fhall only mention three that I have more prefent in my memory, the effects of 

 which are prodigious. 



The firfl fhall be a famous plant called Quinchamali, which rifes not a foot above 

 the ground, and its branches fpread like a nofegay, and end in little flowers at the 

 points, which, both in colour and in fhape, are not unlike the faffron called Romi. 

 They pull up the herb, and boil it entire, with its roots, leaves, and flowers, in fair 

 water, which is given to the patient to drink hot : amongft other effects it produces, 

 one i& to diffolve all coagulated blood in the body, and that very quickly ; fo that an 

 Indian feeling himfelf wounded, takes it immediately, to hinder the blood that could 

 not come out at the wound from congealing inwardly, and fo prevents all impofthu- 

 mation, and the corruption of the reft. 



There happened in our college of St. Jago an accident, which gave proof of this 

 admirable herb ; which was, that an Indian belonging to us being gone to the great 

 place to fee the buU-feaft, a bull, to his great misfortune, catched him up, and toffed 

 him in the air, and left him almoft dead on the fpot 5 he was brought to our houfe, 

 and the phyfician, being called, faid he was a dead man, and nothing could fave him : 

 but, however, he told the father that has care of the fick, that it would coft but little 

 to give him the Quinchamali, wrap him up warm, and leave him alone fome hours. 

 It was done accordingly ; and after fome time, the father reforting to the place where 

 they had laid him, to fee if he was dead, he was found not only alive, but out of 

 danger, and the Iheet all full of blood, which the herb had caufed him to void through 

 the pores of his body, fo as he remained perfectly well in a little time. 



The fecond herb is that which we Spaniards call Albaaquilla, and the Indians Culen, 

 becaufe its leaves are like the leaves of fweet bafil : it grows in bufhes fo high, that 

 they feem to be trees ; the leaves are very fragrant, and fweet like honey : being 

 bruifed, it is applied to the wound outwardly, and fome drops of its juice are to be 

 poured alfo into the wound ; after which, moft admirable effects of its efficacy are 

 feen. 



1 was told by Captain Sebaftian Garcia Carrero, the founder of our novitiat-houfe of 

 Bucalemo, that as he was travelling with a dog in his company, which he loved ex- 

 tremely. 



