Untitled - Smithsonian Institution

200 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99
As for the "crippled sycamore/' see page 54.
The barks used are those of Ga'ne't'i'soi, Betula nigra L., water-,
river-, or red birch; tsu'ska', Quercus steMata Wang., post oak (also
hybrids of Quercus alba L., white oak) ; tsu*'t'tna\ Carpinus caroliniana
Walt., American hornbeam, ironwood, blue-, water beech; k*i;\viyi;'sti,
Platanus occidentalis L., sycamore, buttonwood.
23
a'ntsko-'li DtDzo-'t*isto.'ti' Jt'a' ngVo'tT Go°"t*oti' €'ldf'their
head they are to be blown this to cure with to ase with down
with
Dzo° tst'k'ano'ce!a°'
direction it which says
*tGe"yaGi' *tGe^'yaGi' 'iGe^yaGi' *tGe*'yaGi' ng'^'DoGQ-'yi
thou woman by excellence (?)
[sun, direct., Loc
ng^'DOGg'yi ng'^DO'GQ'yi ng'^DOGg'yi *tGe''yaGi^ *iGe*'yaGi' 'ya'
thou woman sharply
by excellence
u'niGf'na-Ga'a'tki no.tst-!'i tsi'''y€"G9'.i
this to cure with chinquapin pine(s), Loc they stand up, H
*t'a' ng'wo'tT |
tsu'staGa*yO''DO° tsi;'GWalo*G'3'*'!i Gi;''lstan5'!i i;Ga*'naWU°'
brittle with dryness they have been leaves it has been steeped warm
DlDZO"'t'ts'tO.'tfGW5^' Ge'S?"'.i
they are to be blown with it, L they have
been,
H
This (is) to Blow Their Heads With; the Medicine (Which
is) to be Used With it is Told Below
FREE TRANSLATION
Thou Woman (by excellence?) (4 times).
In the direction of the Sun Land (4 times)
Thou Woman (by excellence?) (bis). Sharply!
This (is) to treat (them) with: (of) chinquapin, which is wont to
grow in the pine woods, the plucked brittle leaves, steeped warm,
should be used, and they ^° should merely be blown with it.
EXPLANATION
This song and prescription are for the treatment of a feverish
condition, of which the symptoms are headache, chills, and cold
sweats. No special cause theory was assigned, but the song would
seem to indicate that the Sun is held responsible for the disease as
in No. 41.
The medicine is an infusion of the dry brittle leaves of chinquapin
(Castanea pumila (L.) Mill.), heated by means of seven coals of fire
and blown upon the head and shoulders of the patient, the blowing
being done as described on page 58.
50 The patients.
.