STEVENSON] MEDICAL PRACTICES AND MEDICINAL PLANTS 61 



medicine belongs to the Ant, Eagle-down, and Rattlesnake frater- 

 nities.' 



Thalesia fasciculata (Nutt.) Britton. Cancer Root. Oroban- 



CHACE.E. Broom-rape family. 

 We'kwimie, 'foot.' So named because this plant is supposed 

 to have grown in great abundance in the undermost world, 

 and when the people trod upon it it was refreshing to their 

 bare feet. 

 The whole plant is ground to powder between stones; this powder 

 is considered a specific for hemorrhoids. A small roll of rabbit^skin, 

 or a rabbit's tail dipped into warm water is inserted as far as possible 

 into the rectum five or six times. The index finger is then moistened 

 with water, dipped in the powdered plant, and applied to the anus; 

 then the finger is inserted into the rectum, carrying the powdered 

 root with it. As a medicine for this purpose the j)lant belongs to all 

 the fraternities. 



Tripferocalyx wootonii Standlev. Allioniace^e. Four-o'clock 



family. 



V'shaa'wa, 'painted in nil colors.' Vshaa'wa is the name of a 



snake having a skin spotted in various colors. This snake 



is said to eject a fluid not from the head, but through the 



skin of the body, which causes much suffering to one 



touched thereby. The plant is said to be efficacious in the 



treatment of a person so afflicted. 



A pinch of the ground root is put into a vessel of warm (not hot) 



water, and the infusion is drunk morning, noon, and night, to relieve 



the ill effect of the poisonous fluid from the snake. The attending 



theurgist also chews a quantity of the root, and, ejecting it into his 



hands, rubs the aSlicted jiortion of the body. Crushed leaves of the 



plant are put into a bowl containing live coals, and the patient stands 



nude over the bowl, both patient and vessel being weU covered with 



blankets. Three doses of the medicine and the heated crushed 



leaves are supposed to produce the desired sweat-bath. 



A quantity of the powdered root in a cup of warm (not hot) water 

 is drunk morning, noon, and night, for swollen glands, especially 

 those of the throat. 



This medicine belongs to all the fraternities. 

 Ustilago zese. Corn Smut. 



He'Tcwitola, 'black bread, ' referring to a particular kind of bread. 

 (he <he'we , wafer-like bread made of corn meal; hm'tola 

 [archaic], black). The name was given to the fungus on 

 account of its similarity in texture and color to he'we. 



> The Rattlesnake fraternity plays no part with the live rattlesnake, this body being a division of the 

 Eagle^dovm fraternity. The members of the Eagle-down fraternity differed in opinion, with the result 

 that many left the parent fraternity and organized one of their own. It is said that they quarreled with 

 the main body " like angry snakes, " hence the name. 



