HRDLicKA] PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL OBSERVATIONS 225 



given tlieiii in dreams, and they are accepted as worthy healers on 

 demonstration of their abihty to cure. 



The usual treatment of a patient by a San Carlos Apache medicine- 

 man consists in rubbing the affected part with hadntin, the sacred 

 yellow pollen of Scirpus lacustris, then singing, and playing on the 

 flute or violin, and finally pretending to extract the objective cause 

 of the sickness by sucking over the most painful spot. A little of the 

 pollen is also often put into the patient's mouth. Recently some of the 

 medicine-men have adopted the practice of painting on the body of 

 the patient, with hadntin, the figure of the crucified Christ, praying 

 at the same time to God that the patient may be cured. 



Among the White Mountain and the Jicarilla Apache the more im- 

 portant healings require the construction of special medicine lodges. 



All the Apache still retain belief in witch medicines. At San Car- 

 los they killed a young woman who pretended to be a witch doctor 

 and who in 1881 and 1882 made some marvelous cures. Two murders 

 committed in 1903 are commonly attributed to difficulties arising 

 from the practice of witch medicine among the Mescaleros. Belief 

 in the practice of harmful (witch) medicine by whites is also enter- 

 tained to some extent. 



The Walapai have several native medicine-men. There are no 

 specialists among these, each practitioner being considered able to 

 cure all diseases. They treat their patients, usually at night, by invo- 

 cations and songs, accompanied by the rattle, and by various sha- 

 manistic practices. They also blow on the part affected and on 

 the hands of the patient. 



Navaho medicine-men occasionally engage in very elaborate cur- 

 ing ceremonies." Frequent use is made of body painting and of dry 

 sand paintings; some of the latter are liighly symbolic, as well as 

 artistic in execution. 



Among the Hopi'' the subject of healers is both rich and complex. 

 There are medicine- men, society healers, and medicine- women. 

 Several fraternities exist, the members of which claim they can cure 

 disease, but each of the societies limits itself to the treatment of a 

 special line of ailments. There are medicine-men known as j^osh- 

 hutu or pochwimMas, who relieve by touch only or massage. One 



a See Dr. Washington Matthews' publications, particularly The Night Chant, Memoirs of the Ameri- 

 can Museum of Natural History, 1902, vi. 



A friendly Navaho medicine-man in Chaco canyon, New Mexico, was induced by the writer, not with- 

 out difficulty, to perform one of his more ordinary incantations over a patient. Both sat down on 

 the ground in an isolated spot. The medicine-man took in one hand a sort of small club, wrapped 

 around with a piece of old cloth, and beginning to sing seconded the rhythm of the chant by striking 

 the earth between his feet with the club, at the same time passing the other hand over the part of the 

 body of the patient where the pains were. As the patient was only slightly ill. there was no further 

 treatment. 



b For a portion of the infonnation concerning this tribe the writer is indebted to Dr. J. W. Fewkes and 

 Dr. Walter Hough. 



3452— Bull. 34—08 15 



