STEVENSON] MEDICAL PEACTICES AND MEDICINAL PLANTS 53 



swelling of the throat, fevers, to produce mild vomitiag, and to act 

 on the bowels and kidneys. For headache and for swelling of the 

 throat the medicine is applied externall}' on the head and throat; for 

 fevers it is rubbed over the whole bodj'. A tea made of the entire 

 plant is drunk warm to produce vomiting or to act on the bowels or 

 kidneys. When the patient is reUeved his head is washed b}- a female 

 member of the famUy of the officiating theurgist. 

 The medicine belongs to all the fraternities. 



Gutierrezia filifolia Greene. Snakeweed. Cakdi'ace.e. Thistle 



family. 

 Kia'hapoh), 'waters gathered together' (kla<kki'we, water; 

 ha'poko, to gather together). 

 This plant Is supposed to have received its name from the Gods of 

 War "because they observed that it was very fond of drinking water, 

 and drew about it watei-s from all directions just as the people of 

 fraternities meet together under one roof." 



A small quantity of the blossoms of this jilant is steeped for a short 

 time in boilmg water and the tea given to relieve retention of urine; 

 it is claimed to cure the most obstinate cases. After di-inking the 

 tea the patient runs rapidly for some distance, and, returning, wraps 

 in heavy blankets to uiduce perspiration. The medicine is also given 

 to make one strong in the limbs and muscles. 

 This remedy belongs to all the fraternities. 



Ilelianthusannutis'L. Sunflower. Carduace^. Thistle family. 

 O'matsapa, 'on tij) of stem.' 



This plant is employeti in conjunction with others to cure rattle- 

 snake bite. Its root is com})ined with the roots of ha'tsoliJco, 'leaf 

 mouse,' Psilosirophe tagttina (Nutt.) Greene; a'mitolan, 'rambow' 

 (so named from its banded roots), Amsonia hrevifolia Gray, and 

 hu'tecM 'mephitic odor,' Ximinesia exauriculata (Rob. & Greenm.) 

 Rydb. 



This medicine belongs to all the fraternities, and a person contem- 

 plating absence from his village may obtain it from the director of 

 his fraternit}'. 



As soon as a theurgist reaches a patient who has been bitten by a 

 rattlesnake, lie takes a quantity of the ground plant of u'tea li'akica, 

 'turquoise flower' {u'tea, flower; li'ahica, turquoise), into his mouth 

 and proceeds to suck the wound. When he is satisfied that he has 

 extracted as much of the poison as possible, he chews bits of the roots 

 of the three plants mentioned above (each piece about as thick as the 

 little finger and the length of the index and middle fingers measured 

 across), and applies the mass to the wound with a bandage. Should 

 the patient be troubled with throbbing ui the part aft'ected, the 



