STKVENSONI 



SOCIAL CIHTOMS 299 



an hmir after birth, still the iloctresses and the paternal tiramliiiother of tlie girl 

 never ceased their efforts to produce respiration liy pre-sin<; tlie nostrils, l)lo\vin<r 

 into the mouth, inanii)ulating the chest, and inovinir tlie anus, held outward and 

 above the head. Warm clothes were kept around the Ijody and over the head. 

 There was great rejoicing when the faintest sign of life was discovered, hut it was 

 fully another hour before respiration was such as t(j give real hope of life for the 

 child. The writer was surprised at the success of these patient efforts, as the case 

 seemed to be a hopeless one. When no further anxiety was felt for the little one, 

 the doctress called for pinon gum which had been boiled and, chewing it until it 

 was white and pliable, mixed mutton grease with it, and then the paternal gram 1- 

 mother of the girl rubbed it on the stone floor until she produced a roll out- 

 half inch in diameter and al)ont 4 inches long. A blanket was now folded over 

 the upturned feet and the extended legs of the doctress, who laid the child upon 

 the blanket, its head resting against her feet. Opening the wrappings al>out tlie 

 child, she raised the undiilical cord, which was al)out 2i inches long and heavily 

 wrapped with the cotton cord previously referred to, and encircled the uiiiliilicus 

 with the roll of pinon gum; then fluffing some carded wool and making an open- 

 ing in the center, she drew the wrapped umbilical conl through, patting tlie wool 

 over the pinon gum. This dressing, which was very clum,sy, protrude<l more than 

 an inch. The abdomen was covered with a bit of soiled cotton cloth, laid on warm, 

 and the child's head was kept covered with ia warm cloth. The paternal grand- 

 mother of the infant now dropped water upon its scrotum, and the doctress rnlibed 

 it over the parts, manipulating the penis until its form could be seen. The child's 

 nose was frequently pinched, and the mouth and eyes were delicately manipulated. 

 The latter when closed resembled the eyes of a frog, the lids protruding t(.) a remark- 

 able degree. The child's arms were now i)laced by its side and it was wrap{)ed in a 

 piece of cotton cloth and a tiny blanket, and these were held in place by strings 

 of yucca over the shoulders, l)reast, and lower portion of the legs. Tlie child was 

 then laid upon a folded blanket. Meantime the young mother stood una.ssisted 

 over the urinal, wrapped her l)elt around her to hold in place a heated stone, an.l 

 took her seat on the ledge. Two women removed the sheepskin on which 

 was a pool of the lochial discharge; this the maternal grandmother covered \vith 

 sand, and the sand was then swept into a cloth and carried out. The girl then drank 

 a cup of commercial tea without sugar," which she enjoyed. After the young mother 

 had taken this nourishment the father-in-law and mother-in-law brought a (piantity 

 of damp sand and deposited it upon the floor. One of the doctres.>^es divided the 

 sand into two portions, placed a hot stone slab under one portion and another slab 

 on top of the sand, and worked the sand about the stones until it was thoroughly 

 dry and heated, when she removed the stones and placed them with the othi-r part 

 of the sand, which was heated in the same manner. The second portion of sand was 

 made into a circular mound, in which an elliptic depression was formeil and mad.- 

 perfectly smooth. A circular depression to lit the child's hea.l was made west of the 

 ellipse, and a ridge of sand was raised between the two dei)ressions to support tiic 

 child's neck. Over the sand a heated cloth was laid. At this time much disap- 

 pointment was felt that neither of the ears of corn whi.li were hrought by tin' 

 mother-in-law was a va'pota (perfect ear). One ear had three plumules, symboliz- 

 ing fecundity; the other was a single ear. The latter '' was held, pointuig upward, 

 back of the child's head by the mother-in-law, who also held the ciuld. A basket 

 of prayer meal was deposited at the head of the sand bed by the doctre.<s who 

 received the child into the world, and the latter offered a long prayer to A^vona- 



a There is great prejudice against the use of sugar at su.h times. The Zuf.i -ioetors forl.i.i th. 



sweetening of tea or coffee. ,, , ., ,i .. ; 



h For a boy the single ear of com. called the father, is used; a d.vi.le.l one, called the inothet. i 



placed by a girl. 



