DENSMORE] 
PLANTS AS MEDICINE 
353 
How prepared 
How administered 
Remarks and references 
“Cut the first named into sec- 
tions and boil with the barks 
until soft, strain, keeping the 
decoction, pound the woody 
material into a mash and dry; 
when needed, soak the mash 
thoroughly in the decoction 
and apply; care should be 
taken that the barks after boil- 
ing do not come in contact 
with rust or dirt.’’ 
Decoction made from 1 root and 
1 quart of water. Taken cold. 
Root used in decoction____------- 
Fresh, chopped fine, and applied 
to bite. This was sometimes 
spread on a fresh leaf of the 
plant. 
A poultice of the fresh root, 
mashed, was applied toa snake 
bite. 
Fresh or dried leaves were mois- 
tened and made in a poultice. 
Dried and powdered leaves mois- 
tened with water and applied. 
Chew the fresh leaves and stalk. 
Apply as a poultice. 
A “small sunflower’? was com- 
bined with these, the flowers 
being dried and used as a 
poultice. When needed the 
flowers were moistened, ap- 
plied, and covered with a 
bandage; when this became 
dry it was not removed but 
was moistened with cold 
water. 
Fresh or dried, chop fine and 
apply to burn. Apply in 
morning, wash off partially at 
night, and renew. 
Internal. 5_222223- =- === abees 
xtennalligeneo se mene. one 
i xternally. 2 ose e nase ane 
The informant stated that he used this 
successfully on a gunshot wound 
after gangrene had set in. This 
could be applied to any form of ‘‘rot- 
ten flesh,” after which a knife was 
used to cleanse the wound. 
This remedy is used to check the 
hemorrhage when a person has been 
wounded and blood comes from the 
mouth. See Lung trouble, and dis- 
eases of Women. 
This was also used ‘‘when a snake 
blows on a person and causes a swell- 
ing.”’ 
An incident of the use of this plant was 
related. Mrs. Razer had a relative 
who was bitten by a poisonous snake 
while picking berries. Her husband 
put a tight bandage around the arm 
above the bite; then searched for the 
plant. Before he could find it the 
woman’s arm was badly swollen. 
He cut little gashes in the arm, mois- 
tened this root, appliedit, and the 
woman's life was saved. See Rheu- 
matism and inflammation. 
“Tf a snake got into the wigwam a de- 
coction of this root was sprinkled 
around and the snake did not return.” 
The same poultice might be used to re- 
move a Sliver. 
This was said to prevent blister and 
take out the fire. See Colds and 
charms. 
The leaves of the last named were 
used alone for a burn, being dried, 
powdered, and applied as a poultice. 
This combination of medicine was 
very strong and was called Wabuno- 
wuck (eastern medicine). It is said 
that if a small handful of flowers of 
the plants were steeped in a quart 
of water and a person “washed 
their hands” in this decoction they 
could thrust their hands in boiling 
water and not be scalded. The root 
of the second plant was used for 
indigestion. (Cf. Bull. 45, p. 103.) 
