Am^e0cu^^8arin-}         Plants  Used  by  the  Indians.  591 
Oreodaphne  californica. — This  fine  evergreen  tree  of  California  has  a  very  strong 
spicy  odor.  By  rubbing  the  hands  and  face  a  short  time  with  the  leaves  a  very  dis- 
tressing headache  will  be  produced.  Hahnemann  is  not  the  only  discoverer  of  the 
fact  that  like  cures  like,  for  long  before  he  was  born  the  Indians  of  California  were 
aware  of  the  power  which  this  plant  had  to  produce  a  headache  in  those  that  were 
well  and  to  cure  those  who  are  afflicted  with  it. 
Erythraa  venusta,  a  common  remedy  for  ague  by  Indians  and  Mexicans  of  Ari- 
zona and  Southern  California.  A  tea  is  made  of  the  plant  and  drank,  and  is  cer- 
tainly a  very  good  substitute  for  quinia. 
Paonia  Bronvnii,  by  Mexicans  called  Peo-neo. — The  root  of  this  plant  is  used  by 
the  Indians  of  Southern  California  for  colds,  sore  throats  and  for  pain  in  the  chest. 
It  is  mealy  and  tastes  somewhat  like  licorice.  After  being  reduced  to  powder,  it  is 
either  taken  in  that  form  internally  or  made  into  a  decoction. 
Grindelia  squarrosa. — A  decoction  made  from  this  plant  is  used  by  Mexicans 
and  Indians  of  Southern  California  to  cure  colds.    It  is  taken  internally. 
Lygodesmia  spinosa. — This  plant  produces  a  short,  fine,  silky  substance  just  at  the 
juncture  of  the  roots  with  the  branches,  which  is  used  by  the  Digger  Indians  to  stop 
the  bleeding  in  gun-shot  wounds. 
Perezia  arizonica. — At  the  junction  of  the  branches  with  the  roots,  and  covering 
the  greater  part  of  the  former,  is  a  soft  silky  substance  which  is  used  by  the  Apache 
Indians  in  gun-shot  and  other  wounds,  to  stop  hemorrhages,  for  which  it  is  well 
adapted. 
Glycyrrhirza  lepidota,  called  by  settlers  of  Utah,  Desert  root. — Pah-Utes  eat  it 
for  its  tonic  effects.  In  taste  it  is  much  like  licorice.  Whites  sometimes  chew 
this  root  in  place  of  tobacco. 
Ephedra  antisyphilitica,  called  teamster  s  tea,  since  men  traveling  with  teams  in 
New  Mexico,  Arizona  and  Southern  California,  camping  among  Indians,  contract 
venereal  diseases,  and  use  this  plant  abundantly  as  a  remedy,  taken  internally  in  the 
form  of  tea.  A  quantity  of  the  plant  is  often  taken  along  in  case  of  need.  This 
is  a  well-known  remedy  for  gonorrhoea  among  many  Indians  and  Mexicans.  It  is 
a  strong  astringent,  and  may  prove  valuable  for  its  tonic  properties. 
Dyeing  Materials. — Rumex  hymenosepalus,  a  species  of  dock,  is  very  abundant 
in  sandy  localities  of  mountain  districts,  and  along  river  bottoms  in  Arizona  and 
Southern  Utah.  Indians  use  the  root  for  tanning  buckskins.  Moccasins  made  from 
leather  thus  tanned  are  rendered  much  more  durable,  and  less  liable  to  injury  from 
moisture.  It  it  also  used  in  dyeing,  as  it  yields  a  bright  brown  or  mahogany  color. 
Occasionally,  Indians  ornament  their  bodies  by  using  this  substance  to  form  designs 
upon  their  limbs  Males,  especially,  go  more  or  less  naked  all  the  year  round.  The 
people  of  Utah  use  the  leaf  stem,  as  a  substitute  for  rhubarb,  to  make  pies. 
Sueda  californica. — At  San  Diego,  California,  it  is  commonly  called  glass  wort, 
from  the  glassy  brittleness  of  the  stem.  It  yields  much  caustic  potash,  the  ashes  of 
•which  are  used  by  soap  makers.  Indians  gather  the  seed  for  food.  The  plant  also 
yields  a  dark  coloring  matter. 
£.  diffusa,  Sah  ap-weep  of  the  Pah-Utes  — The  seeds  of  this  plant  are  very  small, 
nevertheless  they  are  gathered  in  great  quantities.    They  are  very  difficult  to  clean, 
