Evening star., 1916-07-22
MEDICINAL PLANTS
LONG KNOWN TO zUN|S
Early Study of Botany by New
Mexican Indians Told
in Bulletin.
Mrs. Matilda Coke Stevenson De-
scribes Healing Lore in
Scholarly Article.

An interesting account of the ethno-
botany, or early knowledge of botany.
| of the Zuni Indians, written by the late
Mrs. Matilda Coke Stevenson, who Tor
many years studied Indian lore, es-
pecially that of the Pueblo tribes OF
New Mexico. was published recently in
| the thirtieth annual report Of the bu-
reau of American ethnology.
Under the medicinal uses of plants by
the Zuni. Mrs. Stevenson says that med
ical treatment is older than intelligence
in man. The dog hunts the fields for
his special grass medicine, the bear
dresses the wound of her cub or fellow
bear with perhaps as much intelligence
as primitive man observes in his en-
pirical practice.
Disease an Evil influence.
Primitive man does not know why
his medicine cures; he simply knows
that it does cure. He believes disease
to be the result of malign influence.
including that of his fellow-man. to
whom he attributes the power of sor-
cery which he himself is unable to
overcome.
Hence, he must summon the aid OF
the beast gods, who alone possess the
power of combating the malevolent
practices of the sorcerer. while he ad-
ministers their medicine. The plants
of the gods cannot effect cure, how
ever, by the mere use of the medicines
concocted from them; during the treat
ment of the patient prayers and sup
plica tions must be offered to the gods
to whom the medicine belongs.
The therapeutics of these Indians Is
largely associated with occultism, these
people having discovered through the
ages and brought into practical use nu-
merous valuable plant medicines. In
the first stages it was not understood
that they were endowed with healing
properties except as they were asso-
ciated with the gods. The old concep-
ton still prevails.
Botany Part Of Daily Life.
That plants play an important part
in the daily life of the Zuni is shown
by Mrs. Stevenson. She found that in
their belief plants verify form a part
of themselves, being regarded as SEN
tient beings: for the initiated of the
Zuni could talk to them and the plants
could answer. Plants were also held
to be sacred. some of them having been
dropped to the earth by the star people;
some were originally human beings.
others the property of the gods, and all
were the offspring Of the earth mother.
So interviewer with plant life. in both
a religious and an economic way, are
the customs and beliefs of the Zuni
people. and so dependent are they on
the products of the soil that their cul-
ture may be said to have had it's origin
in concepts pertaining to the vegetable
kindom.
Mrs. Stevenson found that plants
used in medicine by these Indians were
nj n a a m a n g.
tic way, experience having shown that
many medicines derived from plants
have real medicinal value. They are
often properly and effectively pre-
medicinal practice of the Zuni has not
passed beyond the empirical or expert
mental stage, Notwithstanding their
relative high degree of culture The
various uses to which plants and their
parts are put by these Indians food
and medicine. in weaving dyeing bas-
kerry, decoration. toilet, folk lore and
ceremonies. well as a source of
names pertaining to clans. are de-
scribed by the author.
Double Nomenclature.
Indian names designating plants were
ometimes found to be the same for
two more kinds. but instead of this
signifying a lack of specific knowledge
on the part of the natives, this was
found to be due to the fact that these
plants served the same purposes or
had similar characteristics. although
unlike botanical1y. Plant names show
a close association with animal names,
and a number of them are supposed
to belong to the animals for which
they are named, a fact which accounts
for an erroneous belief on the part of
some students who have thought these
particular medicines a part of, or made
| from. the animal. instead of it's asso-
ciated plant.
| Besides the plants held to be the
! property of the gods. others belong to
| m Medicine orders of secret fraternities
| or individuals. while some of their
botanical remedies are the property of
| the general community. Antiseptics
and narcotics were employed by the
Indians. as well other primitive peo-
! pies. at a very early date, although
civilized man was much slower to adopt
these now indispensable aids to medical
science. 1t seems, however, that while
narcotics were used in many opera
tions. they were seldom given when
bullets were being extracted, the Zuni
saying that, as men were not like women
they must of necessity be men. and
accordingly the bullets were cut out