620  Medicinal  Plants  of  the  Oree  Indians.        {Am  DJe0cu,Ii884aim' 
canadensis,  L.?),  in  diarrhoea;  the  herb  of  Prunella  vulgaris  L.,  is 
chewed  for  sore  throat. 
Karkar-pukwa  or  Country  Tea  (Ledum  latifolium,  L.). — The  fresh 
leaves  are  chewed  and  applied  to  Avounds.  The  flowering  tops  are 
used  as  tea,  and  should  be  gathered  when  in  full  bloom.  The  dried 
flowers  have  an  odor  between  that  of  tansy  and  chamomile.  Accord- 
ing to  the  United  States  Dispensatory  the  leaves  are  esteemed  pectoral 
and  tonic,  and  are  said  to  have  been  used  as  a  substitute  for  tea  during 
the  War  of  Independence.  An  account  of  the  medicinal  uses  of  this 
plant  by  the  Indians  of  the  North  of  Michigan  will  be  found  in  the 
Pharm.  Journ.,  [3],  viii,  p.  850.  By  homoeopaths  it  is  used  as  a 
remedy  for  tender  feet,  especially  when  associated  with  rheumatism, 
and  the  tincture  is  highly  esteemed  for  relieving  the  pain  of  the  stings 
of  insects.    (See  also  Amer.  Jour,  Phar.,  1878,  p.  54.) 
Betula  alba. — The  white  rotten  wood  of  this  tree  is  boiled  in  a 
decoction  of  Ledum  latifolium  for  an  hour.  The  wood  is  afterwards 
dried,  rubbed  to  powder  and  sifted.  In  this  state  it  is  used  for  chafed 
surfaces,  the  flesh  being  washed  with  cold  water  and  the  powder  then 
sifted  on  it.  Mr.  Hay  don  speaks  highly  of  its  value  for  this  purpose, 
having  had  personal  experience  of  its  efficacy  on  chafed  feet,  etc.  It 
is  also  used  as  a  dusting  powder  for  children. 
Prunus  virginiana,  L. — The  bark  is  used  fresh,  as  a  rule.  It  is  used 
as  a  cure  for  diarrhoea.  For  this  purpose  a  handful  of  the  bark  is 
scraped  off  a  young  bough  and  boiled  in  about  a  pint  of  water  and  a 
wineglassful  used  as  a  dose. 
Castoreum  is  used  to  make  a  poultice  for  sprains. 
Other  plants  used  in  medicine  by  the  Cree  Indians  are  Apocynum 
hypericifolium,  Ait.,  and  Comandra  livida,  Rich. 
Leaves  and  barks  used  as  an  application  to  wounds  are  always 
chewed  before  being  used.  Emetics  and  purgatives  are  taken  in  the 
form  of  a  decoction,  a  wineglassful  is  administered  occasionally  until 
the  desired  effect  is  produced. 
Vermillion  is  also  used  in  medicine,  and  the  method  of  using  it  is 
as  follows :  It  is  mixed  with  gunpowder  damped  and  lighted,  the 
patient  sitting  in  a  closed  tent  and  inhaling  the  fumes. 
Although  the  list  of  materia  medica  is  a  small  one  there  is  remark- 
able judgment  shown  in  the  choice  of  remedies.  Thus,  Prunella 
vulgaris  makes  an  excellent  substitute  for  sal  prunella  balls  in  sore 
throat,  and  the  bark  of  the  juniper  and  Canada  balsam  tree  are  doubt- 
