EMPIRES children: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



119 



the herb ruda has been mixed, is given orally. 

 Then he washes his hands with alcohol, beats 

 the cow on the rump, greases his hands with lard, 

 and reaches inside the vagina to loosen the pla- 

 centa and cord. Finally the irritated parts are 

 covered with a commercial medicated oil, and 

 the animal is restricted to the soapy, salty water 

 diet for 3 days. In the case observed the cow 

 recovered. 



A number of burro ills are recognized. These 

 include mal de pico, diagnosed when the animal 

 hangs its head and is listless, and mal de brinco, 

 an intestinal disorder which causes the belly to 

 swell. Eating of very young zacate also causes 

 stomach disorders. All of these symptoms are 



direct exploitation of the earth for immediate 

 profit, while others are, in a sense, manufac- 

 tures, differing from pottery making only in 

 that fevver individuals are so engaged, and in 

 that this work is almost always secondary to the 

 main occupation of the individual. For exam- 

 ple, a number of women are seamstresses and 

 contribute in a substantial way to the family 

 maintenance. Nevertheless, in terms of num- 

 bers they are few, and in terms of function, 

 are first of all housewives. In this section the 

 purely "exploitive" activities are first discuss- 

 ed, and then these minor occupations. Store- 

 keeping, because of its special nature, is left 

 to a discussion of trade and commerce. 



Table 16. — Comparative prices of domestic animals in recent years 



1 Good oxen and milk cows near the top of this range. 



2 No data available. 



treated with salt, which is said to clean out the 

 stomach of the animal. Mal de tieso and mal 

 de redienge are hoof ailments. Bleeding is stan- 

 dard treatment. A rope is tied tightly around 

 the animal's neck causing the veins to stand out. 

 These are lanced with a knife and a liter or two 

 of blood is allowed to run out. 



The roncha is an insect which burrows into 

 the neck and causes sore spots. Pack animals 

 that go to the hot country are particularly afflict- 

 ed. The sore spot may be cauterized with a 

 hot iron, but if the animal dies, no attempt is 

 made to salvage the skin, since the disease is 

 said to be very contagious. Vampire bats are 

 also said to be a danger of the hot country. 

 Saddle sores are sometimes treated with lard or 

 commercial unguents. 



SECONDARY OCCUPATIONS 



Of the occupations which I have called "sec- 

 ondary," some are those concerned with the 



Best bulls for slaughtering are wortli somewhat less. 



GATHERING 

 Veget.\ble Products 



Tzintzuntzan has progressed to the point 

 where gathering is no longer a significant eco- 

 nomic activity. Firewood is the principal ma- 

 terial needed by all. It is gathered a load or two 

 at a time by most home owners on the slopes of 

 Yahuaro and Tariaqueri. A few individuals 

 bring more than they need for sale to others, 

 sometimes bartering it for bread or other food- 

 stuffs, and sometimes selling it to storekeepers 

 for resale. A burro "load," consisting of 40 

 pairs of small sticks, is sold for $1.25: firewood 

 usually can be obtained in the bakery. Since a 

 hard worker can get three loads in a half day, 

 this would seem to be a profitable field of en- 

 deavor; relatively slight demand is probably the 

 reason it is not a systematic industry. Oak and 

 pine are favored woods, but many others are 

 used, including madrofio, walnut, cedar, and 

 ash. 



