328 USES OF PLANTS BY THE CHIPPEWA INDIANS  [8ru. Ann. 44 
These comprised substances which attracted (as love charms and the 
hunting or fishing charms); also those which repelled (as those 
which, carried on the person, were said to keep reptiles away) ; and 
those which acted as an antidote to “bad medicine” carried by 
another person. Among the latter is a certain plant the smoke of 
which was supposed to counteract the effect of poison placed where 
a person would step on it; also a combination of plants rubbed on 
the limbs of a dancer to counteract the effect of medicine worn by 
others with the intention of “ tiring him out.” Certain roots were 
also chewed for the same purpose. In some instances it was said 
that plants acted in both these ways, being worn as a protection, and 
taken internally as a healing agency. Such were some of the medi- 
cines carried by warriors. Certain remedies were used exclusively 
for horses, and some were used for both men and horses. 
In addition to the special knowledge of plants held by the Mide, 
there was a general knowledge of the simpler remedies, each house- 
hold having a supply of such herbs for common ailments. If these 
failed and the illness appeared to be serious, they sent for the man 
whom they believed to have the proper remedy. 
The names of plants are of several sorts. Thus we note 
(1) names which indicate the place where the plant grows, as 
“ prairie sturgeon plant”; (2) names which describe the appearance 
of the plant, as “squirrel tail” or “plump root”; (3) names which 
describe their taste, as “bitter root”; and (4) names indicating the 
part of the plant to be used, as “ crow leaf.” The names of the uses 
of a plant, or a designation of the remedy is sometimes given as the 
name of the plant itself, as (1) names indicating the use, as “ head 
medicine ”; (2) names indicating the origin of the remedy, as “Wina- 
bojo remedy ”; and (3) names denoting the power of the remedy, 
as “chief medicine,” which is applied to several highly esteemed 
plants. With such a system of nomenclature it is evident that plants 
of different species will have the same name and that in many in- 
stances a plant may be called by several different names. Thus the 
purple mint was given three names by as many people. 
The manner of preparing roots has already been described. 
Stalks, leaves, and flowers were usually pulverized in a similar man- 
ner, though in one remedy it was prescribed that eight stems be used 
in 1 quart of water. If bark were to be used the outer skin was 
removed and the “inner bark” scraped or removed in long thin 
strips which were boiled, either with or without pulverizing. An 
informant said that the only regulation concerning the scraping 
was that the root of alder must be scraped toward the plant. 
Vegetable substances were further prepared for use by combining 
them with water. Some were boiled a few moments, others were 
allowed to come to a boil, then removed from the fire, and others 
