236 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 34 



and the patient drinks about a pint of the tea at one time. The 

 medicine opens the bowels. If the patient feels better the dose is not 

 repeated. 



When signs of tapeworm are found in excrements — a condition 

 which is very rare — the same medicine is administered that is given 

 to consumptives. It is believed that this kills the worms. 



The Mescaleros have a definite treatment for rheumatism. They 

 rub on the affected parts a decoction of about half a dozen roots, and 

 then make the patient undergo a sweating produced as follows : The 

 one who treats the patient takes a large pan or a tub, or makes a hole 

 in the ground as nearly w ater-tight as possible. The receptacle is then 

 about half filled with water and some of the roots of which the above- 

 mentioned decoction was made are thrown in as are also heated 

 stones. The receptacle is quickly covered with sticks and then 

 with juniper balls; the patient is then made to sit on the top and 

 is wrapped up to the chin with cloths and blankets. He remains 

 from about twenty minutes to half an hour and usually gets a good 

 sweat. After this some of the same decoction is applied again locally. 

 Before any part of the treatment is commenced the joints are usually 

 marked with the chi (red ocher), a custom the origin and significance 

 of which are not known. The patient subjected to the above treat- 

 ment, which is said to be very efficacious, seldom takes anything 

 internally. 



A plant the root of which is occasionally given in rheumatism, in 

 the form of a decoction, is known as ce-xa-ne sd-iu (''grows through 

 the rocks"). The mixture may also be rubbed into the sore parts. 



For gonorrhea a woman among the Mescaleros mixes together parts 

 of four difi"erent plants. One of these is known as ia-ni-tan ("buffalo 

 eat leaves": Ephedra); part used, leaves. Another is tlo-sM- pa-he 

 ("brown weed": Holodiscus?); parts used, leaves and stalks. The 

 third is known as ih-di-di-tlo-lie ("thunder weed"); parts used, 

 leaves and stalks. The fourth is i-ze n-thli-ze ("hard medicine"); 

 part used, root. xV definite quantity of each plant is used and the 

 mixture is boiled. The patient takes one cupful before breakfast; 

 this dose is said usually to be sufficient to effect a cure. 



E-chonsh is the dried bud of a wild rose. It forms a constituent of 

 another medicine for gonorrhea. 



For swelling and soreness in the groin in gonorrhea the Mescaleros 

 mix the root of i-ze he-ton-siJi, the root of nan-ie-wan-seh, and the 

 leaves and stalks of i-se wi-tan-the-li (Pentstemon). All are pounded 

 together fine, a little water is added, and the resulting paste applied 

 locally. 



Ty-eM-va-ze (Phyllanthus) is the broken twigs and leaves of a 

 parasitic plant used by the Mescaleros for itching in any part of the 

 body. They boil the medicine and drink it or apply it externally. 



