HRDLicKA] PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL OBSERVATIONS 243 



The Pima have some curious conceptions as to the causes of sick- 

 ness and curious remedies. In many instances the patient is sup- 

 posed to have committed some transgression or have broken some 

 tabu. In such cases the medicine-man who is called usually points 

 out the nature of the offense. The cause of consumption is not 

 known, but the people know that it runs in families. They do not 

 know that it is contagious. It is always the medicine-man who finds 

 the true cause of sickness, and the patient often then remembers 

 that he did some wrong as indicated. One of the principal sub- 

 stances that, when surreptitiously introduced into the body, may 

 operate as a cause to produce or aggravate disease, is hair. 



The Pima were always bitter enemies of the Apache. Their enmity 

 went so far that they believed if a drop of blood of an Apache fell 

 on a Pima it would cause sickness. If a Pima killed several Apache, 

 although the act was lauded, it was believed that some of the progeny 

 of that man would become insane or otherwise injuriously affected. 

 This result could be obviated by use of Apache hair, a tuft of which, 

 tied with a chicken-hawk feather and an owl feather and burned in 

 a certain wa}' with greasewood, would cure any sickness induced by 

 the contact with the Apache. 



As to different sicknesses in children, it is believed that the parents 

 of such children ''did not look out for themselves properly" during 

 the period of gestation. They may, for instance, have killed an ani- 

 mal, whose spirit causes the disease of the child. If they happened 

 to kill a dog, the child may be affected with fever; if the animal 

 killed was a rattlesnake, there may be a swelling of the stomach in 

 the child to be born; if a coyote, diarrhea; if a rat, chills. But if 

 the parents are careful and want to prevent the evil consequences of 

 their indiscretion, they may avail themselves of songs for every occa- 

 sion which will propitiate the spirit of the departed animal. 



The Pima do not kill the horned toad. Should they do so one of 

 their children might become "lame in the joints" or hunchbacked. 

 Sometimes, nevertheless, a toad is accidentally killed by some one. 

 In such a case there are again propitiatory songs. Besides tliis the 

 individual who happened to kill the toad wears red ribbon around 

 his neck, meaning by this to tell the spirit that he did not want to 

 kill the animal and desires to be forgiven. It is also believed that 

 one must not kill the young of the coyote; the mother would revenge 

 herself by carrying off the baby of the family. 



Kwa-i-ku-i is the name by which the Pima and Papago know the 

 frontal fontanel. Like the Indians in northern Mexico, these tribes 

 believe that the fontanel may "fall," causing the child to be sick. 

 To cure the child a woman puts a finger into the baby's mouth 

 and pushes the palate upward. After that a little salt and water 

 are applied to the skin over the fontanel. 



