DENSMOIiE] 



PLANTS AS MEDICINE 



353 



I low prepared 



"Cut the first named into sec- 

 tions and boil with the barks 

 until soft, strain, keeping the 

 decoction, pound the woody 

 material into a mash and dry; 

 when needed, soak the mash 

 thoroughly in the decoction 

 and apply; care should lie 

 taken that the barks after boil- 

 ing do not como in contact 

 with rust or dirt." 



Decoction made from 1 root and 

 1 quart of water. Taken cold. 



Root used in decoction. 



Fresh, chopped fine, and applied 

 to bite. This was sometimes 

 spread on a fresh leaf of the 

 plant. 



A poultice of the fresh root, 

 mashed, was applied to a snake 

 bite. 



Fresh or dried leaves were mois- 

 tened and made in a poultice. 



Dried and powdered leaves mois- 

 tened with water and applied. 



Chew the fresh leaves and stalk. 

 Apply as a poultice. 



A "small sunflower" was com- 

 bined with these, the flowers 

 being dried and used as a 

 poultice. When needed the 

 flowers were moistened, ap- 

 plied, and covered with a 

 bandage; when this became 

 dry it was not removed but 

 was moistened with cold 

 water. 



Fresh or dried, chop fine and 

 apply to burn. Apply in 

 morning, wash oil partially at 

 night, and renew. 



How administered 



Internal. 



Externally. 



.do. 



.do. 



.do. 

 .do. 



Externally. 



.do. 



Remarks and references 



The informant stated that he used this 

 successfully on a gunshot wound 

 after gangrene had set in. This 

 could be applied to any form of "rot- 

 ten flesh," after which a knife was 

 used to cleanse the wound. 



This remedy is used to check the 

 hemorrhage when a person has been 

 wounded and blood comes from the 

 mouth. See Lung trouble, and dis- 

 eases of women. 



This was also used "when a snako 

 blows on a person and causes a swell- 

 ing." 



An incident of the use of this plant was 

 related, Mrs. Razer had a relative 

 who was bitten by a poisonous snake 

 while picking berries, iler husband 

 put a tight bandage around the arm 

 above the bite; then searched for the 

 plant. Before he could find it the 

 woman's arm was badly swollen. 

 He cut little gashes in the arm, mois- 

 tened this root, applied it, and the 

 woman's life was saved. See Rheu- 

 matism and inflammation. 



"If a snake got into the wigwam a de- 

 coction of this root was sprinkled 

 around and the snake did not ret urn." 



The same poultice might be used to re- 

 move a sliver. 



This was said to prevent blister and 

 take out the fire. See Colds and 

 charms. 



The leaves of the last named were 

 used alone for a burn, being dried, 

 powdered, and applied as a poultice. 

 This combination of medicine was 

 very strong and was called Wabuno- 

 wuck (eastern medicine). It is said 

 that if a small handful of flowers of 

 the plants were steeped in a quart 

 of water and a person "washed 

 their hands" in this decoction they 

 could thrust their hands in boiling 

 water and not be scalded. The root 

 of the second plant was used for 

 indigestion. (Cf. Bull. 45, p. 103.& 



