Untitled - Smithsonian Institution

oiBRECHTs] THE SWIMMER MANUSCRIPT 199
EXPLANATION
A prescription against an aggravated form of hoarseness. The
patient drinks a decoction of the inner bark of the five trees named,
the decoction being intended to make him vomit the phlegm which
clogs the throat passages and impedes utterance. Some of the liquid
is also rubbed on his throat and neck. There is no formula to be
recited in this case, nor any ceremony to be performed. The bark,
as usual, is from the east side of the tree.
This prescription was written in two places in the manuscript.
The barks used are those of t'a"ya', Prunus virginiana L., choke-
cherry; Gule'' tsi;nstt*'Ga, Quercus folcata Michx., Spanish oak (also
Quercus imbricaria Michx.); kVng'stHa, Cornus florida. L., flowering
dogwood (a]so Cornus stricta Lam., stiff cornel); SQ'n^t'a unt'yo°.sti,
Malus mains (L.) Mill., apple; Dfh'Gali'ski e'owo", Salix alba L.,
white willow.
Ga'ne't't'ski I
22
Jt"a~N!5°' ung^'Di ts-a-'ndfk'o'!a° uGg'wutli' |
this, and milk it which they urinate for the purpose
tsi;'"ska' | tsu-'t'tno" | k'uViyu'sti
water-birch post oak water beech sycamore
na.ski' ii"ndt"t'a'sti' | Ga"kt'9'°D9 no'"'ki'
crippled this here they must drink it restricted four
a'yo"u''t}i |
fDtle^ki a'uia' i'nQ"'°Di
l^eat salt milk.
And This (is) for the Purpose (of Treating Them) When They
Urinate (Like) Milk
FREE TRANSLATION
They must drink (in) this (case) water birch, post oak, water beech,
crippled sycamore. Restricted (are during) four (days) hot (food),
salt (and) milk.
explanation
This prescription is intended for use in aggravated cases of the
trouble spoken of in No. 6, page 178.
The symptoms are milky urine and pains in the hips and the lower
part of the back. The medicine man prepares a strong decoction
of the inner barks of the four trees named and the patient drinks
this in small quantities, at frequent intervals, for four days. The
sufferer abstains in the meantime from hot and salt food, whereas
he has to go without milk "for a considerable period," i. e., for about
a year.
The sacred four appears here in the number of ingredients and
in the taboo.