60 BUREAIT OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (bull. 34 



and is not washed. After that she can liave a little food when she 

 likes. If she is weak or inclined to faint, she has to be fed at once 

 and is given warm soup made from flour and water. Formerly she 

 was not washed until sixteen days after labor, but now the cus- 

 tomary time is four days, provided there is no danger of her 

 catching cold ; but meanwhile she cleanses herself somewhat with dry 

 cloths. No medicine is given, except in cases where the woman 

 feels ill. 



Formerly a Pima woman after delivery tabued salt for eight days 

 or more. At present there is no observance of any special diet, 

 except that for the first day or two she avoids whatever is considered 

 "strong." 



Accidents to a mother after delivery are not frequent. When 

 there is too much milk, the midwife relieves the pressure with 

 her hands. The mother is seldom able to nurse her babe at once; 

 often the milk does not appear for two and occasionally for even 

 tliree or four days. Meanwhile the child is given some simple diet. 

 The writer's informant never knew of the birth of a monster. She 

 knew, however, of an infant without arms born to a Pima woman; 

 it was not allowed to live. Her own grandson shows a congenital 

 defect of finger nails; so small an abnormality would not be con- 

 sidered sufficient cause for disposing of the child. 



Only one case of. triplets had occurred in the tribe within the recol- 

 lection of the persons interviewed. In this case all three children 

 lived to advanced age and died within recent years. 



No case of deformed pelvis was known in the tribe. 



Difficult and long labor, the old Pima think, is due largely t(i the 

 fact that women do not now always make sufficient effort to hasten 

 birth. Difficulties are especially noticed in the women who have 

 adopted to the greatest extent the ways of the whites. 



Among the northern Papago assistance in delivery is given by 

 older female relatives. During the later stages of the labor the 

 patient, who sits down on the ground, aids delivery by raising herself 

 by means of a cord fixed to the wall or ceiling. After confinement 

 the Papago woman in some localities is expected to stay indoors 

 for two or three weeks, a custom probably of Spanish derivation. 

 Several years ago a Papago woman at Sacaton had a retention of 

 the placenta. When all ordinary means had failed, the white agency 

 doctor was called, but the woman refused to have the afterbirth 

 removed manually or with the aid of instruments, and died some 

 days afterwards. 



Among the Maricopa the position in labor and tj^e ordinarj^ usages 

 connected with delivery are like those among the Pima; no depres- 

 sion, however, is made in the ground in front of the patient, as is 

 done at times among the latter. 



