232 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (bull. 34 



vegetal medicines for gonorrhea. They also use more extensively 

 in curing than any other Apache tlie sacred yellow pollen known as 

 hailntin. This comes from a plant known as the-the, also tnle, or totara 

 (Scirpus lacustris). The powder is generally used externally and in 

 connection with prayers; its action is wholly magical." 



The San Carlos Apache know many vegetal remedies. As in other 

 tribes, not all of these are of common knowledge. 



Xosh-ka-ya is a very spiny, low, cylindrical cactus (Opuntia 

 emorcyi) growing in patches and known more commonly as cJiolla. 

 They take some of the woody part from the inside of this cactus, tie 

 it on a string, and hang it on the neck, particularly in children, as a 

 charm to keep away disease. When there is any contagion about, 

 they place whole plants of this cactus about 10 paces away from the 

 dwelling and in the four cardinal directions, to keep, away the dis- 

 ease. On bright days persons who are very sick lie in the sun out- 

 side of the dwelling. Both men and women were seen thus. 



A mixture of the cin-ko-ja berries with water is believed to be a 

 good food for the sick. Vomiting, produced by tulipi or other means, 

 is a remedy of much repute for weak women. It "cleans them up," 

 and after that they grow fat. The roots of i-ze i-gag-goh-e-M ("medi- 

 cine-clean-out" : Euphorbia), are chewed raw and fresh to induce 

 diarrhea as well as vomiting. The remedy is used for general "clean- 

 ing out." I-ze vla-tal-ka-ia ("white tops" — "white blossoms some- 

 thing like cotton": Clematis drumondii) is a remedy the root and 

 sometimes also the stem of which are employed to induce vomiting 

 and diarrhea. A decoction made from this plant is administered, 

 especially in prolonged indigestion. Another root that produces 

 vomiting as well as laxation grows in the lowlands and is known as 

 Mish i-ze ("snake medicine"). Still another emetic which the people 

 sometimes use is the inside bark of a bush known as ta-dla-tsin. This 

 bark is used fresh. It is pounded up and boiled, and the liquor is then 

 drunk. 



The root of ceh-ji ("stones": Ghrysothamnus, sp.) is boiled, the 

 resulting liquor being taken for pains in the chest. The leaves and 

 smsiW twigs oi el-zes-pa-lie ("brown-medicine": Bouchea ehrenbergii) 

 are pounded up, mixed with water, and applied w^ith the hand in a 

 small quantity over the head in headache. The root of nau-h-chin-lco-je 

 C ' white-man's berry " : Lycium andersoni wrightii) , is ground, boiled, 

 .and taken for headache. Na-go-nel-tM is a plant the root of which is 

 used for colds and sore throat. The patient eats a little of the root as 

 it is or drinks a decoction of it. The root of chil-to-je (canaigre: 

 Rumex hymenosepalus), besides having other uses, is taken in the 

 form of a decoction for cough or consumption. Thlo-til-che-ge (Janusia 



a A coUoction of White Mountain Apache remedies is preserved in the Field Museum of Natural 

 History. 



