DENS MORE I 



PLANTS AS MEDICINE 



325 



combined an aromatic herb with their medicines as a precaution 

 against their identification. The fact that persons were willing; to 

 impart their knowledge of these ancient remedies for publication 

 indicates that the attitude of the Chippewa toward their old customs 

 is passing away. 



There seems to have been something symbolic in the appearance of 

 certain medicinal roots. The writer showed a certain root to a 

 medicine woman and asked her if she knew what it was. She replied 

 that its use was familiar to her, but that she would have known it 

 was a medicinal root if she had never seen it before. On being ques- 

 tioned further she said it was evidently an old root which had sent 

 up a new stalk each year and had long roots extending downward. 

 The stalk and the small roots were gone, but the life remained in the 

 root itself, and this would be the part used for medicine. A class of 

 plants highly valued as medicines are those having a divided tap root 

 supposed to resemble the legs of a man. An example of this is 

 spikenard. The medicine woman already quoted brought the writer 

 a plant which she said she had hesitated a long lime before showing. 

 Her affection and admiration for the plant itself were evident as she 

 caressed its straight stalk, delicate leaves, and fine white roots, 

 reluctant at the last to part with it. 



In some instances the fertile and sterile plants were considered 

 separately. It will be noted that a remedy for dysentery stipulates 

 that the flowering plant of Artemisia dractmculoides (mugwort) be 

 used, and that in a decoction for strengthening the hair it is stated 

 that a sterile plant of the same be used. The writer was informed 

 of a remedy in which both sorts of " rattlesnake root " were used, 

 but it was impossible at the time to secure specimens for identification. 



Vegetable remedies were usually gathered in the late summer 

 or early fall, when the plants are fully developed. At that season 

 it was customary for the Chippewa to take journeys or to send to 

 other localities to obtain plants which grew in various soils. 



An unfailing custom of the Mide in gathering plants for medicinal 

 use is to dig a little hole in the ground beside the plant and put 

 tobacco in the hole, speaking meanwhile to the plant. Gagewin, 

 who is a member of the Mide, said that when he dug a plant he spoke 

 somewhat thus : " You were allowed to grow here for the benefit of 

 mankind, and I give you this tobacco to remind you of this, so that 

 you will do the best you can for me." This, of course, is only rep- 

 resentative of part of such a speech. On one occasion the writer 

 saw the tobacco put beside a tree wdiose bark was to be used. The 

 medicine man was a member of the Otter Tail Band of Chippewa. 

 He said this was commanded by the masmdo, who gave all knowl- 

 edge of plants to the Chippewa. He seemed to require no other 

 authority or reason. 



