HRDUCKA] PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL OBSERVATIONS 63 



same time a decoction of " herba buena" or "rosa de castilla," and 

 may himself try abdominal pressure or kneading. The abdomen of 

 the delivered woman is bound with the ordinary broad sash, a cus- 

 tom probably acquired from the Mexicans. The woman is urged to 

 remain in bed as long as possible, and she generally stays indoors 

 eight to fifteen and even thirty days. 



The Hidchol women in labor are assisted by older women, as among 

 other Indians. As soon as able afterwards they wash themselves 

 all over. 



Among the Nahua, most of the Tarasco, and the Tlahuiltec the 

 observances as to help, cleanliness, diet, and other matters of medical 

 interest concerning the woman before, during, and following delivery 

 are more or less modified by Mexican usages. 



The primipara receives everywhere a special attention and is more 

 bound than a multipara to observe diet and other customs. 



In order to obtain more exact information respecting the duration 

 of labor and other matters relating to childbirth, the writer questioned 

 directly a number of Apache and Pima mothers. It was found almost 

 invariably that after proper introduction and explanation as to the 

 inquiries to be made the woman was willing enough to give all the 

 information at her command, but in many cases her remembrance 

 of long-past events was so imperfect that a portion of the data 

 could not be utilized. The best answers were those relating to the 

 length of labor (it being possible in almost every instance to learn the 

 approximate time of the day or night when the pains began and 

 when the infant was born) and those relating to the last child. 



The results, so far as the duration of labor is concerned, show con- 

 siderable individual variation in both series; yet it will be noted from 

 the table below that there is in both series a tendency toward 

 groupings of frequencies, wliich are quite similar in the two tribes. In 

 nearly 29 per cent of the 85 tabulated cases among the Apache and 23.5 

 per cent of those among the Pima, the labor lasted only two hours or 

 less; labor of between seven and twelve hours' duration among the 

 Apache (31 per cent), and seven to ten hours among the Pima (32 per 

 cent) forms the second and largest group; while the third group 

 embraces the prolonged labors, of more than one day's duration (17 

 per cent among the Apache and 17.6 per cent among the Pima). 



