the forehead, chin, breast, and stomach of the patient. The tube has a bunch of feathers attached called a-an kiatûta, and these are next swept in quick passes downward over the body. The âʼmĭna are then taken and sucked four times by the patient, after which the end of the bundle is pressed against the patient's body, then laid flat upon his breast and rubbed. Finally, the assistant repeats the speech of Siu-uu at the time when that deity restored himself to life, at the same time making passes toward the patient.
Magic influence exerted by evilly disposed persons, especially medicine-men, may cause a particular ailment, called "doctor's disease," in the cure of which the slate tablets found in the ruins are believed to be most efficacious. The information was given that no marking was made on the slates; they were simply placed in a vessel of water and the patient drank the water.
Sometimes the sickness of a child was believed to be due to the fact that some person desired to take it away from its parents. If they went to the covetous one and accused him of the crime the child immediately recovered.
Navitco (fig. 26) is an evil spirit adopted from the Papagos. His home is in the mountain called Papak, Frog.[1] This spirit causes the knees to swell and the eyes to become inflamed. It may safely be inferred that this disease has been a common one, as it is the practice to treat several at one time in a somewhat more elaborate ceremonial than is usual in the treatment of other diseases. One medicine-man personates Navitco, another known as Kâkspakam accompanies him; both are masked. At a signal from Navitco, given by throwing corn meal on the baskets, 15 or 20 persons appointed for the purpose sing the Navitco song (p. 326) , accompanied by the notched sticks, after which Navitco goes to each patient and pats him with eagle feathers until he has presumably drawn out all disease. He then throws away the feathers. He is followed by Kâkspakam, who seats himself before each patient to give him an opportunity to touch the mask and then the swollen knees. When the singers have finished, they rub the notched sticks over their own bodies to prevent contagion. All concerned in the ceremony must not eat salt for four days thereafter.
The Navitco medicine-men also claim to possess the power to bring rain.
The treatment of a child afflicted with dysentery mingles the new order with the old in an interesting manner, combining Christian baptism with pagan sun worship and magic medical practice.
A man and his wife who are close friends of the parents come early in the morning and wash the baby. If it is a boy, it is taken up at sun-
- ↑ Santa Catalinas, north of Tucson; altitude, 10,000 feet.
