58 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bui,l.:{4 



gruel. On the other hand, if strong, she can soon eat ahnost every- 

 thing, even with salt. She is never given any tulipi, however. 



When asked about the occurrence of twins in the tribe most of the 

 San Carlos women said it was quite rare, and they could refer to no 

 recent instance. When asked about triplets, they usually answered 

 with a laugh, saying that they were not dogs to have so many. 

 None of them had heard of any such occurrence in the tribe. The 

 only instances of congenital abnormalities among the San Carlos 

 Apache learned of by the writer were a harelip and a case of imperfo- 

 rate anus. When a deformity is considerable, the infant is usually 

 allowed to die. In the tribe, however, there is a man who has no 

 external ears, but simply an opening on each side into the head. 

 He was born thus. No one could remember any instance of multiple 

 breasts or limbs. 



Among the Mescaleros a woman in labor kneels on the ground with 

 her limbs separated, while another wonuxn kneels behind her and 

 from time to time presses on the abdomen. Old women assist in the 

 labor. When the delivery is difficult, they give some medicine; press 

 and knead the abdomen, and often endeavor to remove the child 

 manually. No one except the attending woman is allowed to be 

 present. The placenta is w^rapped up and buried. After labor the 

 woman observes no special diet and eats almost anything she desires. 

 No fixed period for her to stay indoors was observed. One Mescalero 

 woman is known to have had three children at a birth. One was a 

 monster without arms and another had only one eye. Both of 

 these were killed. This occurred about thirty-five years ago. 



Among the Lipan the position of the woman in labor is on her 

 knees with limbs well separated, aid being given by an attendant 

 who from behind holds back her shoulders. The placenta is so dis- 

 posed of -that it may not be disturbed by beasts of prey. A cradle 

 board is made when the child is four days old. The woman is not 

 allowed to go out before four days have elapsed. The baby is shown 

 to the sun soon after birth, but is not taken out until 2 weeks old. 

 These old observances, however, are being slowly abandoned. 



Among the Navaho generally only the old women assist, but when 

 the childbirth is difficult one or more men may be called in, who 

 aid the woman in labor by encircling her abdomen with their 

 arms, endeavoring to hasten the birth. A medicine-man is occa- 

 sionally called in to aid with pressure and also with "medicine" and 

 incantations." 



oA curious case was reported to the writer by Doctor McKee, formerly physician to the Hopi and 

 Navaho at Keams canyon. She was called to attend a Navaho woman who thought that confinement 

 was delayed. On arriving she found the patient at about the end of the seventh month of pregnancy 

 and with absolutely no signs of approaching labor. The doctor was infonned that, according to the 

 calculation of the woman and her relatives, the time for the confinement had passed and for two 

 days the men in the family had been aiding the woman to be dehvered by pressing her abdomen. For- 

 tunately the manipulation had not been violent enough to injure cither the inotlier or her infant. The 

 child was born nearly two months later. 



