Untitled - Smithsonian Institution

252 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99
This is the Medicine for Their Breast, When the Terrapin
Affects them as They go About
frp:e translation
Now then! Ha, now he has his trails stretched about toward the
little mountains in the direction of the Night Land. It is the Terrapin
that has caused it. He has conic to hang in the middle (of the body).
It is but a ghost.
Now, however, thou Old White One, at the very edge of thy body
he ' is sitting. It is the Terrapin that has put the important thing
under him. It is but a ghost. Thou Old White One, thou hast come
to make the important thing relinquish its grasp. Let him err about
under the swamp, yonder in the Night Land. He has been made
weak, and not for one night (only, but forever). Relief will be
caused continuously.
explanation
This is a formida for the cure of an abdominal pain, probably due
to the violation of some one of the rules of digestion, although the
medicine man asserts that it is caused by the Terrapin, which in some
way "spoils the saliva" of the patient. This diagnosis is based
exclusively upon the fact that in the disturbed sleep which accompanies
the illness, the sick man dreams of terrapins. Precisely the same dis-
ease would be ascribed to the evil agency of the snakes or of the
fish, or of any other animal, if the sufferer happened to dream of
them.
In the formula the Fu-e is addressed as the Ancient White One,
and is asked to drive out the important thing, the disease which has
come from the little mountains in the Night Land, the W^est, and
to put it away under the mud, so that it may not get out again to
do any further mischief. The fire is generally invoked against the
terrapins, snakes and fishes, for the reason that these cold-blooded
animals are unable to withstand the heat.
The treatment consists of rubbing the abdomen and administering
a strong herb decoction to cause vomiting so as to dislodge the "spoiled
saliva." The plants used are skwo-'l i;*'t'8n5""\ Asarum canadense L.,
asarabacca, wild ginger; skwo''l ustf'ca, Hepatica acutiloba DC,
liver leaf; tii'ksi wo*yi', Epigaea repens L., mayflower.
The last name means "terrapin's paw," a fact which doubtless
has something to do with its selection in this case. The decoction is
boiled four times, as already explained, until it becomes a thick
sirup. On each of the four days the patient drinks the liquid until
he vomits, when no more is drunk until next day. The medicine
must not necessarily be prepared by the medicine man, but may be
1 The patient.