260 THE I'IMA INDIANS [eth. ann. 26 



tlie spot where the man was last seen, he will find a transparent 

 crystal, ha'tai tau'tam, stone white, which contains a spirit that will 

 aid him in all his subsequent undertakings and wliich will desert the 

 stone at the death of the holder." 



The Si'atcokam treats a woundetl man by sucking the evil from 

 the wound. He shows a strand of green that resembles a roll of 

 water plants about 8 inches long. The wounded man sucks this 

 crosswise four times and the Si'atcokam pretends to swallow it. 

 "This insures complete recovery." 



Cause and Treatment cif Disease 



The Si'atcokam carries his tcaekut or staff in hand when called to 

 treat the sick. He begins by singing the "cure songs" or causing 

 them to be sung for the purpose of aiding him in correctly diagnosing 

 the case. Then he puffs out cigarette smoke over the body of the 

 patient in order that he may ''see" the disease. Most common ail- 

 ments are attributed to certain definite causes and the diagnosis is 

 easy. When he is well paid for his services he may sing more than 

 one night before announcing the name of the disease. If he is too 

 hasty he may '"see" the bear when it is really the deer that is causing 

 trouble. However, he can not sing more than four nights; then, if he 

 fails, he must call in a fellow-practitioner. The case of Sala Hina is 

 an interesting and instructive one and will illustrate very adequately 

 these peculiar methods. Several years ago Sala carelessly ate some 

 weed which poisoned her and she had barely strength enough to reach 

 home. As close relatives are not allowed to treat a patient, a neigh- 

 boring medicine-man was called in. Her husband rolled a cigarette 

 for the learned doctor, who smoked it, but however skillfully he 

 spread the smoke cloud over the groaning patient he could not "see" 

 the cause of the trouble. Then another Si'atcokam was called in and 

 a cigarette was rolled for him and he peered through the veil suffi- 

 ciently to see "something." But he coulil not tell just what it was 

 and advised senrling for another medicine-man who was a specialist 

 in intangible shapes. Sala was suffering the greatest agony in the 

 meantime. If she moved she "felt full of pins inside." Those about 

 her expected her to die at any moment. Number three at length 

 arrived and smoked his cigarette, blowing the smoke across the 

 patient from a distance to dispel the unusually heavy ilarkness. He 

 said he must have his gourd rattle and magic feathers brought before 

 he could see clearly. Meanwhile the husband had brought in a fourth 

 medicine-man. Number ft)ur then smoked a cigarette and pro- 



o " Small rock crystals, supposed to be produced by the sbamans, are thought to be dead or even 

 living— a itind of astral bodies of the Theosophists. Such a rock crystal is called tevali (plural 

 tevali'r) or 'grandfather'— the same name as is given to the majority of the gods. But it may, 

 however, represent any person or relative, in accordance with the directions of the shaman." Lum- 

 holtz. Symbolism of the Iluichol Indians, 63. 



