STEVENSON] MEDICAL PRACTICES AND MEDICINAL PLANTS 49 



Galaxy fraternity, but in recent years the Galaxy has given it to 

 other fraternities. As an external remedy, however, the plant still 

 belongs exclusively to the Galaxy fraternity. Wlien employed for 

 external use this plant bears another name, u'slia a'wa a'kwawa, 

 'snake all medicine' {u'sha, a species of snake; a'wa, all; a'hwawa, 

 medicine). 



The entire plant, groimd, is mixed with a small quantity of warm 

 (not hot) water, and the infusion is applied externally for reducing 

 swelhng of any part of the body, especially the throat. 



Ephedra nevadensis S. Wats. Commonly known as Teamster's 



tea. Gnetack«:. Joint-fir family. 

 Tsi'posho, 'stiff -jointed.' 

 The plant, minus the root, is made into a tea and drunk during the 

 first stage of syphihs. It belongs to all the people.* 



Eriogonum alatum Torr. PoLYGONACE.i;. Buckwheat family. 

 Shi' pa, 'slightly bad smelling.' 

 The root is ground by women on the grinding-slabs in the cere- 

 monial chambei-s of all the fraternities and gathered into bowls by the 

 ofTicers of the fraternity. It is afterward distributed by the maker 

 of medicine-water to each adult member of his fraternity. The 

 powdered root is received in the palm of the hand and deposited in a 

 piece of deerskin, which is tied securely. A pinch of the powder in 

 a cup of warm water is taken morning, noon, and siuiset to relieve 

 "general miserable feeling" or after a fall. 



Eriogonum fasciculatum Benth. Poltgoxace.!:. Buckwheat 



family. 

 Sus'ki, 'coyote,' also a'Jcwa a'kohanna, 'white medicine' (a'hwa, 



medicine; a'kohanna. white), because of the whiteness of 



the root after the removal of the bark. 

 The root is boiled and the tea drunk hot after confinement, to heal 

 laceration. The theurgist, man or woman (usually the latter), who 

 is summoned, carries the root to the house of the patient, where a 

 woman of the family makes the tea, which is administered by the 

 attending theurgist. The hot tea is drunk also for hoarseness and 

 for a cold when the throat is affected. The powdered root is ground 

 with ceremony, including dancing, in the ceremonial chamber of the 

 Little Fire fraternity.- It is appUed to cuts of any kind, and to arrow 

 or bullet woimds. The wound is bathed each day, fresh powdered 

 root is apphed, and the woimd bandaged. When apphed to wounds 

 the root is the property of the Priesthood of the Bow. 



1 The plant is used for the same purpose by Indians and Mexicans generally. See Palmer in A met. Jour. 

 Pharm., vol. 50, p. 591. 

 ' See iSd Ann. Rep. Bur. Amer. «*n.,p. 553. 



15961°— 30 ETH— 14 4 



