STEVENSON] 



SOCIAL CUSTOMS 301 



hastening the close of the lochial discliarge, which ceascHl alter the fnurtli ihiy. 

 On the second day, October 22, tlie \mhe of the mother was 7^i. Thongli several 

 efforts were made throngh the day to nourish the child from the mother, the milk 

 did not appear. On the 23d the pulse was 79. Mother and child were doing well. 

 The lacerated perineum was much improved. The same treatment was contit.ueil. 

 Though the feet and ankles were excessively swollen for days before parturition, 

 they rapidly returned to their normal condition after the l)irth of the child. On 

 the 24th the pulse was 79. Though the milk came, it appeared like pus, and the 

 child refused it. The infant was so weak from lack of nourishment that the writer 

 prepared condensed milk, upon which it was fed for some days, and its improve- 

 ment was marked. On the 25th the pulse was 90. The infant was placed to the 

 breast several times, but refused the milk. At the first light of day on the 26th. 

 a line of meal, syml)olic of the path of life, was sprinkled from the house to the 

 point where the child was to observe for the first time the Sun Father. The doc- 

 tress who had received the child when it came into the world, accompanied by the 

 young mother and the paternal grandmother, carried tlie infant, witii the ear of 

 corn which had been by its side since its birth held close to its head. The (loctre.^'s 

 stooped and held the child to face east while she offered a prayer for the health and 

 happiness, goodness of heart, and long life of the child. At sunrise the doctress 

 dipped up several gourdfuls of water in which juniper had been steeped and emptied 

 it into a bowl near the fireplace; then the paternal great-grandmother of th.e child 

 pounded yucca root and handed it to the doctress, who madi' suds of it by beating 

 it in the juniper water. As the bowl t)ecame filled with snowy froth, she took off 

 the suds, putting them into a second bowl, and when this bowl was filled, the suds 

 were warmed with hot juniper water. The paternal grandmother held the child 

 until the doctress had removed her moccasins and was seated on a blanket spread 

 on the floor. The physician held the infant, its head to the east, supporting it with 

 the left hand. The great-grandmother and the paternal grandmother stood one on 

 each side of the bowl. The doctress first dipped a handful of suds, and then the 

 others took suds with their right hands. The young mother sat on the ledge near 

 by, but took no part. The suds were held while the doctress offered a long i)rayer 

 to A^vonawiFona, the Sun Father, and the Earth Mother, that all blessings might 

 come to the child. At the conclusion of the prayer the <loctress placed the suds 

 she held on the top of the child's head, and then the other two patted the suds 

 on the head; and the head was then held over the b wl and thoroughly washed by 

 the doctress. Great care was observed in bathing the eyes; they were smoothed over 

 and'over, and the nose was pinched many times. A blanket was folded an<l spread 

 over the extended legs ' f the doctress, in the manner heretofore described, a wad 

 being placed before the upturned feet where the child's head was to rest. The 

 dressing was removed from the umbilicus, which was found entirely healed. The 

 child was then bathed from a l)owl containing only warm juniper water. The pater- 

 nal grandmother was careful to warm the cloths in which the child was to l)e 

 wrapped. Nothing was used to dry the child aside from the ashes which were 

 rubbed over its entire body. The infant, still refusing its motlier's milk, was fed 

 with condensed milk from" a spoon. It smacked its lips with satisfaction, much to 

 the delight of the paternal grandfather and the otiiers present. The chil<l was 

 then held by the grandmother, while the doctress worked up anew the yuc-ca suds. 

 The young mother's hair was loosed, and she bent her head over the bowl while the 

 doctress, the mother-in-law, and the latter's mother and young niece dipped suds 

 with their right hands and held them while the doctress prayed. After the prayer 

 the doctress applied to the head the suds she held, and the others <lid the same, 

 after which the doctress thoroughly washed the head and long hair. The young 

 mother then took her seat while the doctress removed the remainder of her sand 

 bed, which was carried in a blanket to the far end of the room and deposited m a 



