228 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 34 



according to aboriginal methods. As among their congeners, the Pima, 

 heahng powers are believed to be conferred on certain individuals in 

 dreams. These are usually elder men, who announce their dreams 

 and the powers they are supposed to have acqidred; if their pre- 

 tensions are satisfactory to the elders of the tribe they are accepted 

 as healers without ceremony. Among the Papago there is also a 

 medicine- woman . 



Among the Maricopa the medicine-men also become such tlii'ough 

 the influence of dreams. They are said to commence to dream about 

 their destiny in childhood, but do not become accepted practitioners 

 before attaining the experience of manhood. 



The Mohave have numerous medicine-men. In the past they had 

 also some medicine-women, but none of these are found to-day. A 

 Mohave expressed it by saying, ''None are born now." Every medi- 

 cine-man is endowed with his reputed powers from birth, for the 

 Mohave believe that each lived in another world before tliis and 

 there became possessed of liis qualifications as a healer. The jnedi- 

 cine-men also tell the people that power to cure is given them by 

 the deities. These healers are nearly all specialists. They are, 

 according to one of the English-spealdng Mohave, the rattlesnake 

 doctor, the fever doctor, the rheumatism doctor, the "cold" doctor, 

 the dropsy doctor, and the doctor of wounds. 



Unsuccessfid Mohave medicine-men were severely dealt \vith. As 

 the writer's informant expressed it, recalling a case known to him, 

 "He was a good doctor; then he lost a good many; people got tired 

 of it; other doctors say he not doing the best, we have got to punish 

 him; that is all; we killed him; that was some time ago ; now vdiite 

 men will not let us kill. There is one at Needles now we would kill, 

 but white men protect him. We tliink he gave poison to some of 

 the sick and that they died of it." 



The Yuma have several medicine-men and at least one medicine- 

 woman, and are averse to wliite doctors. They employ massage or 

 vigorous kneading and often treat by diminishing the diet of the 

 patient, or even by prohibiting food and drink entirely. As among 

 the Mohave, unsuccessful medicine-men are believed to have become 

 wizards and are severely dealt with.'^ 



The Tarahu mare medicine-men, in addition to their other fimc- 

 tions, take charge in cases of gestation and parturition, but their 

 role is usually mainly spiritual. They exercise their powers in order 

 that the child may be born in the right position and not be bewitched 

 or malformed. The ordinary aid at confinement is given by elder 

 women, but a medicine-man may be called in case of necessity. 

 The medicine-men also supply medicine to those who desire to be 

 successfid at the races or games. 



o Compare Report on Indians, Eleventh Census, 1890, 222, Washington, 1804; also W. T. Heflferman, 

 Medicine among tlie Yumas, California Medical -T ournal , San Francisco, 1S08, xvii, 135-140. 



