130 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 75 
the sick by the aid of supernatural power but who gave herb medi- 
cines in connection with the treatment. She said that she usually 
sang these songs when the sun was at a height corresponding to 
about 10 o’clock in the morning. The special efficacy of her songs 
was said to consist in their power to counteract an evil influence 
produced by some other person. 
Mrs. Washington had been treating the sick for about four years 
prior to the recording of her songs and said that ‘“‘a spirit”? told her 
what to do. This spirit was represented by an eagle. In summon- 
ing her to treat a sick person, the messenger formerly brought a tail 
feather of an eagle, but recently she had required that he bring a 
downy white eagle feather, as she believed that her power was 
increased by this feather. If she were not at home, the messenger 
left the feather, on which there was no mark of any kind. Her 
friends told her who required her services and when she received 
the message she went at once to the sick person, taking with her 
the feather which had accompanied the request. She also held this 
feather in her hand during the treatment. Arrived at the home of 
the sick person, she ‘‘prayed to the eagle” before beginning her 
treatment, which was described as follows: The sick person was 
placed in a reclining position and she sat beside him, placing her 
forehead against that portion of his body where pain was felt. Some- 
times she took earth and rubbed it on the patient’s body, “working 
downward toward the feet.” This earth was not prepared in any 
way but was used “just as it was picked up.” During this treat- 
ment she sang the six recorded songs in the order in which they are 
herewith presented. If the patient were very ill, she used a plant 
which she obtained from the Shoshoni, but she valued this so highly 
that she used it only for those who were closely related to her. She 
stated that by means of this plant she once cured her daughter, 
who was almost in a dying condition. No specimen of the plant 
was available for identification, but the woman stated that she used 
the root in powdered form and also had ‘‘three little round red 
things,”’ which were part of the plant. These were said to resemble 
a walnut but were smoother than a walnut and red in color. They 
were pierced with a hole so that they resembled large beads. The 
sick person was required to place one of these in his mouth and 
“draw air through the hole.’’ This was used with all her medicinal 
herbs. The roots of various herbs were used by her in her treatment. 
These roots were powdered and prepared with water, the mixture 
being administered by dipping a “‘little stick” in it and applying 
the stick to the patient’s tongue. As she gave the herb medicine 
she “‘prayed to the eagle.” She said that when this treatment was 
administered the patient was sure to recover. 
