_pubescens_ [Willd.] Knight), “maˈ kasîn” [moccasin].[115] Among the
Pillager Ojibwe, the root of this species is said to be a good remedy
for female troubles of all kinds. The white man has used it as a
gentle tonic for the nerves, a stimulant and antispasmodic, similar to
Valerian, only less powerful.
=Rein Orchis= (_Habenaria bracteata_ [Willd.] R. Br.), “gokoˈcgûnda
mînêskweˈ mîn” [pig-woman enticer root]. The Ojibwe Pillager would
smuggle this into food as an aphrodisiac, which they considered a bad
use and not to be talked about or countenanced. There is no record of
its use by the white men.
=Adder’s Mouth= (_Microstylis unifolia_ [Michx.] BSP.) “aîaˈ nîkotciˈ
mîn” [twisted berry]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the tiny root of this
plant to mix with Bush Honeysuckle bark (_Diervilla lonicera_) as a
diuretic. There is no record of its use by white men.
PAPAVERACEAE (POPPY FAMILY)
=Bloodroot= (_Sanguinaria canadensis_ L.)[116] “meskwaˈ djiˈ bîkûk”
[red root]. The Pillager Ojibwe use the orange-red juice of the
Bloodroot to cure sore throat. The juice is squeezed out on a lump of
maple sugar, and this is retained in the mouth until it has melted
away. They also use the juice to paint the face for the medicine lodge
ceremony or when on the warpath.
_Sanguinaria_ is official only in the U. S. Pharmacopoeia, and in small
doses it produces a sense of warmth in the stomach and stimulates
gastric secretion. It is given as an expectorant and in larger doses as
an emetic.
PINACEAE (PINE FAMILY)
=Balsam Fir= (_Abies balsamea_ [L.] Mill), “jîngoˈ b” [any kind of
fir tree name], shown in plate 62, fig. 1. While the Flambeau Ojibwe
call the tree “jîngoˈ b” as a short term, the full name of the Balsam
Fir according to them is “jîngoˈ b pîkewaˈ ndag”. They claim that the
liquid balsam is used direct from the bark blister upon the eyes, for
sore eyes. The leaves are a reviver or “abaˈ bûsûn” and are also used
in combinations as a wash. The Pillager Ojibwe call it “jîngoˈ bandag”,
and use the balsam gum for colds and to heal sores. This corresponds
to the way the Hudson Bay Indians use the bark. The needle-like leaves
are placed upon live coals and the smoke is inhaled for colds. They are
also used as a part of the medicine for the sweat bath.
The sweat bath is taken in a small hemispherical wigwam, like the
regular abode, but entirely covered with mats or nowadays with
canvas. The medicines are coiled into wreaths to fit into large iron
kettles. Water is added and finally hot rocks which cause steam. The
Indian taking the sweat bath may be taking it for ceremonial reasons,
for cleansing, but most likely as a medicated steam bath. He sits
naked within until there is no more steam and his body is entirely
dried again. He then puts on all clean clothes and will not wear
the discarded clothes until they have all been thoroughly washed.
The candidate for degrees in the medicine lodge, must undergo the
sweat bath in a ceremonial way. Usual plants employed to medicate
the steam are White Pine leaves, Hemlock leaves, Arbor Vitae leaves,
Wild Bergamot plant, Balsam needles, Peppermint plants, and the like.
They are undoubtedly very beneficial to the health. Canada balsam is
accounted the same medicinally as turpentine, but its principal value
to the white man today is its perfect transparency and peculiar optical
properties, which fit it for use in mounting microscopic specimens.
=Tamarack= (_Larix laricina_ [Du Roi] Koch), “mûckîgwaˈ tîg” [swamp
tree], shown in plate 60, fig. 2. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the dried
leaves as an inhalant and fumigator, “nokweˈsîkûn”. Larch bark has
been highly valued in the past in chronic bronchitis with profuse
expectoration, in chronic inflammation of the urinary passages, and in
phases of hemorrhage.
=White Spruce= (_Picea canadensis_ [Mill.] BSP.), “gawaˈ ndag”, shown
in plate 62, fig. 2. The leaves of White Spruce are used in the same
manner as Larch, as a “nokweˈsîkûn”, an inhalant or fumigator. The
needle oil is considered about the same as turpentine, by white men.
=Black Spruce= (_Picea mariana_ [Mill.] BSP.), “jingwûp”. If the bark
is meant as a medicinal salt, then its name is “jingwûˈ p gawaˈ ndag”
but if the leaves are the part meant for a reviver, “aba busun”, then
it carries only the name “jingwup”. The needle oil is used by white men
the same as turpentine.
=Jack Pine= (_Pinus banksiana_ Lamb.), “gîgaˈ ndag”. The leaves are
used as a reviver,—“nokweˈ sîkûn” according to the Flambeau Ojibwe.
There is no record of its medicinal use by the white men.
=Norway Pine= (_Pinus resinosa_ Ait.), “abakwanûg iˈmûg” [bark in
plates], shown in plate 63, fig. 2. The Norway Pine is used in all
particulars by the Flambeau Ojibwe, just as the White Pine.
=White Pine= (_Pinus strobus_ L.), “jîngwak kweseskweˈ tûk” according
to Bearskin of the Flambeau Ojibwe, shown in plate 63, fig. 1, “jîngwak
waceskweˈdo” according to Charley Burns of the Flambeau Ojibwe. The
bark medicine is, “jîngwak onaˈ gêk” and is gathered in the same manner
as by the Menomini, with a song to grandmother Earth, and the placing
of tobacco on the ground. The cones, when boiled and likewise the
bark of the young tree trunk yield a pitch which is medicine, called
“jîngwak bûgîo.” The dried leaves are powdered and used as a reviver or
inhalant. There are three names referring to this sort of treatment,
as said before,—“nokweˈ sîkûn”, “sasaˈ bîkwat” and “abaˈ bûsûn”. Of
these three terms, “sasaˈ bîkwat” is the proper one to use when White
Pine needles are employed in this manner. White Pine is a very valuable
remedy with all Ojibwe, but Norway Pine is sometimes substituted for
it. White Pine bark is used in making cough syrup, by white men, but it
possesses only feeble properties as an expectorant.
=Arbor Vitae= (_Thuja occidentalis_ L.), “giˈ jîkandag” [sky or cedar
tree].[117] The Flambeau Ojibwe use the leaves as a perfume, “abaˈ
bûsûn” and also as a tea for headache. During ceremonies of the
medicine lodge, it is necessary to purify sacred objects and the hands
and persons of participants. A plate of live coals is used and dried
Arbor Vitae leaves placed upon them. The servitor wafts the incense
over sacred objects by fanning the smoke with his hands. Others hold
their hands over and in the smoke, waving it upon their persons.
The Pillager Ojibwe call it by the simple name “giˈ jîk” [sky or
cedar]. They also use it as a purifying incense, and as an ingredient
for the sweat bath with White Pine, Balsam, Hemlock and other plants.
They drink the boiled leaves claiming that the steam goes through the
blood and purifies it. This treatment cures coughs.
The U. S. Pharmacopoeia formerly required that leaves for medicinal
use be in a fresh state but the new formulary only requires them
to be recently dried and leafy. Internally it has been used for an
emmenagogue, for fevers, bronchial catarrh, rheumatism and to remove
intestinal worms. Externally it is applied in ointment to treat ulcers,
warts and cancerous growths.
=Hemlock= (_Tsuga canadensis_ [L.] Carr.), “gagagiˈ wîc” [raven tree].
The Flambeau Ojibwe medicine man puts the leaves in his medicinal tea
to disguise the taste. The bark is used for healing cuts and wounds,
and for stopping the flow of blood from a wound. The bark is rich in
tannin and naturally quite astringent. White men have used the bark
and its resulting pitch as substitutes for burgundy pitch in making
plasters. These have been used as external remedies for lumbago,
chronic rheumatic pains, chronic bronchitis and pleurisy.
PLANTAGINACEAE (PLANTAIN FAMILY)
=Common Plantain= (_Plantago major_ L.), “cecaˈ gûskiˈ bûge sînk”
[leaves grow up and also lie flat on the ground].[118] The Flambeau
Ojibwe soak the leaves in warm water then bind them on bruises, sprains
or sores as a poultice. It is also a healing and soothing remedy for
burns, scalds, bee stings, and snake bites. The Flambeau Ojibwe also
refer to it as “pakwan”. The Pillager Ojibwe use it in the same manner
but call it “jimûckiˈ gobûg” [sort of swamp leaf]. Although plantain
is a feeble remedy, it has been ascribed potency in many diseases by
eclectic practitioners. They still use it to some extent in treating
inflammation of the skin, malignant ulcers, intermittent fevers, etc.
The leaves are of some value in arresting hemorrhages when applied to
the bleeding surfaces. The writer cured a badly swollen and lacerated
hand, which swelled to three times its normal size, probably because
dirt from a sewer was ground into it, with the simple leaf bound upon
the hand.
POLYGONACEAE (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY)
=Carey’s Persicaria= (_Polygonum careyi_ Olney). The Ojibwe have no
name or use for this, nor have white men.
=Swamp Persicaria= (_Polygonum muhlenbergii_ [Meisn.] Wats.), “agoñgoˈ
simînûn” [chipmunk berries]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use this plant for a
tea to cure a pain in the stomach. It is also hunting medicine. Several
of the polygonums have been used by eclectic practitioners for their
astringent properties.
=Curled Dock= (_Rumex crispus_ L.) “ciˈobûg” [twisted leaf]. The
Flambeau Ojibwe use the root, which contains considerable tannin, for
closing and healing cuts. White men have used it for its astringent
properties.
POLYPODIACEAE (FERN FAMILY)
=Shield Fern= (_Aspidium cristatum_ [L.] Sw.), “anaˈ ganûck” [fern].
The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root tea for stomach trouble. Among the
white men, this fern has been found to have almost the same value as
Male Fern as a teniafuge. Great care is exercised in the size of the
dose and to see that no part of the drug remains in the system after it
has performed its task of killing intestinal worms, as fatalities have
been known to occur.
=Female Fern= (_Asplenium filix-femina_ [L.] Bernh.), “anaˈ ganûck”
[fern]. The Flambeau Ojibwe grate the dry root into a powder which
is used as a healing powder for sores. The Pillager Ojibwe call it
“nokomiˈ skînûn” [grandmother?]. The root is made into a tea to cause
milk flow in patients with caked breast. There is a record of its
medicinal use by white men to alleviate backache.
=Sensitive Fern= (_Onoclea sensibilis_ L.), “aˈ nanaˈ ganûck” [fern].
The Pillager Ojibwe powder the dry root, and make a tea to give the
patient whose breasts are caked, to stimulate the flow of milk. There
is no record of its medicinal use by white men.
=Brake= (_Pteris aquilina_ L.), “anaˈ ganûck” [general fern name]. This
is the general name of the bracken fern, where used for food. When used
for medicine, it is called by the Flambeau Ojibwe—“makateˈ wa anaˈ
ganûck” [black fern], and the root is made into tea to alleviate cramps
in the stomach. It is only used by the women for this purpose. The
dried leaves are smoked upon live coals to relieve a headache. Under
the name “aˈ nanaganaˈ wûck” the root is used by the Pillager Ojibwe in
the same manner as by the Flambeau Ojibwe. White men have considered
this root to be pectoral, demulcent, purgative and anthelmintic. A
syrup solution is used in pulmonary and hepatic diseases. A strong
decoction is used to expel worms.
PRIMULACEAE (PRIMROSE FAMILY)
So far as is known, none of the Primrose family is used by the Ojibwe
for medicine. The Pillager Ojibwe did not know the Tufted Loosestrife
(_Lysimachia thyrsiflora_ L.).
RANUNCULACEAE (CROWFOOT FAMILY)
=Red Baneberry= (_Actaea rubra_ [Ait.] Willd.), “wîckobidjiˈbîk” [sweet
root], shown in plate 76, fig. 1. The Pillager Ojibwe make a tea from
the root, to be drunk by women after childbirth. It is to clear up the
system. A man also eats the root for stomach troubles. White men use
the root as a substitute for Black Cohosh (_Cimicifuga racemosa_),
which it resembles in appearances and properties. It has been used in
treating ovarian neuralgia, uterine tenderness, subinvolution, and
amenorrhea. It has also been used as a substitute for digitalis in
fatty or irritable heart, but only after other remedies have failed.
Headache due to eyestrain has also been cured by this root.
=Canada Anemone= (_Anemone canadensis_ L.), “mîdewidjiˈ bîk” [medicine
lodge root], shown in plate 74, fig. 2. The Pillager Ojibwe eat the
root of this plant to clear the throat so they can sing well in the
medicine lodge ceremony,—a sort of throat lozenge. Most of the
anemones have been substituted for _Pulsatilla_ and used for the
same host of diseases by eclectic practitioners. Included in these
ailments are: cataract, paralysis, rheumatism, melancholia, syphilis,
dysmenorrhea, and many other morbid conditions.
=Thimble-weed= (_Anemone cylindrica_ Gray.), “gande gwaˈ soninkeˈ
cînagwûk” [looks like tumble-weed]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root
for making a tea to relieve lung congestion and tuberculosis. Among the
white men it has the same uses as Canada Anemone.
=Wild Columbine= (_Aquilegia canadensis_ L.), shown in plate 74, fig.
1. The Pillager Ojibwe have no name for this plant, but the root is
considered a good medicine for stomach trouble. Eclectic practitioners
consider it a diuretic, diaphoretic, and antiscorbutic, using it in
jaundice, in smallpox to promote eruption, and in scurvy.
=Goldthread= (_Coptis trifolia_ [L.] Salisb.), “wesa waˈ nikweˈak”
[yellow?] and “wesa wadjiˈbîkweˈak” [yellow root], shown in plate 75,
fig. 1. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the decoction of the root to soothe and
heal the baby’s gums while it is teething. It is also used as a mouth
wash for adults when their mouths are sore. This use has been adopted
by white men, who also use it in dyspepsia and chronic inflammation of
the stomach.
=Bristly Crowfoot= (_Ranunculus pennsylvanicus_ L. f.), “manweˈ gons”.
The seeds are a hunting medicine with the Flambeau Ojibwe. Several of
the _Ranunculaceae_ have been used as counter-irritants by the white
men.
=Cursed Crowfoot= (_Ranunculus sceleratus_ L.). The Pillager Ojibwe do
not know this plant, and have no name for it. Eclectic practitioners
have used it as a counter-irritant.
=Purple Meadow Rue= (_Thalictrum dasycarpum_ Fisch. & Lall.), shown in
plate 73, fig. 1. The Pillager Ojibwe have no Indian name for this, but
use the root to make a tea to reduce fever. The properties of this root
are considered almost identical with _Berberis_, which is used by white
men as a tonic, stimulant and antiperiodic.
ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY)
=Agrimony= (_Agrimonia gryposepala_ Wallr.), “sagaˈ tîgans” [seeds
stick], shown in plate 77, fig. 1. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root
with other ingredients as a medicine for urinary troubles. It is not
much valued now by white men, although it has been used for its bitter
astringent properties.
=Smooth Juneberry= (_Amelanchier laevis_ Wiegand),
“gozigaˈgominagaˈwûnj” [thorny wood][119] according to John
Whitefeather, Flambeau Ojibwe, and “bîsegaˈgomînagaˈwûnj” according to
Charley Burns, another Flambeau Ojibwe who said that the bark was used
for medicine, but he did not know what it was to treat. The Pillager
Ojibwe call it “gozigaˈgomînûk” and say that the bark is to make a tea
for the expectant mother. There is no record of its medicinal use by
white men.
=Hawthorn= (_Crataegus_ sp.), “mînesagaˈ wûnj” [berries and thorn
bush], shown in plate 77, fig. 2. The Flambeau Ojibwe use both the
fruit and the bark for medicine, a kind not made now, other than
for women. Eclectic practitioners have used the berries for their
astringent and reputed cardiac properties.
=Wild Strawberry= (_Fragaria virginiana_ Duchesne), “odeˈ imînîdjiˈ
bîk,” [heart berry root].[120] The root of the common Wild Strawberry
is used to make a tea good for the stomach-ache, and especially for
babies. The white man uses the herb as an astringent and tonic for
convalescents and especially for children having bowel and bladder
weakness.
=Large-leaved Avens= (_Geum macrophyllum_ Willd.), “wicaˈwasaˈ konek”
[yellow light]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use this for a female remedy.
Eclectic practitioners consider the root tonic and astringent.
=Rough Cinquefoil= (_Potentilla monspeliensis_ L.), “tcodeˈ imînagaˈ
wûnj” [like a strawberry]. This plant seemed to be known to all the
Pillager Ojibwe, even the eight-year-old girls, as a physic. There is
no record of its use as a medicine by white men.
=Marsh Five-finger= (_Potentilla palustris_ [L.] Scop.), “bebaˈ
akwûndek” [floats about]. This was dug from the water by John
Whitefeather’s wife, Flambeau Ojibwe, who said it was a cure for
cramps in the stomach, and is used alone as one medicine. Under the
Pillager Ojibwe name of “mûckiˈ godjiˈbîk” [swamp root], John Peper
said that it was medicine with them, but he did not know how to use it.
There is no record of its use as medicine by white men.
=Pin Cherry= (_Prunus pennsylvanica_ L. f.), “baeˈwimînûn”. The inner
bark is a valued remedy for coughs. Most of the species of cherry have
been used by white men for the bitter principle contained, which suits
it for use as a stomachic and bitter tonic in gastric atony and general
debility. The syrup of wild cherry has been used as a pleasant vehicle
for other drugs.
=Wild Cherry= (_Prunus serotina_ Ehrh.) “okweˈ mîn” [worm out of
a fly’s egg; refers to the little worms in a cherry when it is
ripe].[121] The Flambeau Ojibwe value the bark of this species to make
a tea as a remedy for coughs and colds. It is used the same as Pin
Cherry by white men.
=Choke Cherry= (_Prunus virginiana_ L.), “aˈ sasaweˈ mînagaˈ
wûnj.”[122] The Pillager Ojibwe make a tea for lung trouble from the
inner bark. This is the official bark in the pharmacopoeia, which
is used as a stomachic and bitter tonic useful in gastric atony and
general debility. Wild cherry syrup is used to mask other unpleasant
drugs.
=Smooth Rose= (_Rosa blanda_ Ait.), “ogîneˈ mînagaˈ ons” [rose
berries].[123] The Pillager Ojibwe use the skin of the fruit or “rose
hip” for stomach trouble. The Flambeau Ojibwe call it “ogîni” or
“ogîniˈ gawûnj” [rose berries]. They dry and powder the flowers for use
in relieving heartburn. The skin of the rose hips is a medicine for
indigestion. Rose hips are described by white men as refrigerant and
astringent, but are only used in medicine to prepare the confection of
hips. Roses are used almost wholly today to impart their pleasant odor
to pharmaceutical preparations.
=High Bush Blackberry= (_Rubus allegheniensis_ Porter), “oˈdatagaˈ
gomîc” [its name].[124] The Flambeau Ojibwe boil the canes to obtain
a tea that is used as a diuretic. The roots furnish a tea for
arresting flux. Blackberry and Dewberry root are official in the U.
S. Pharmacopoeia because of their tonic and astringent properties.
They are favorite household remedies among white men in the treatment
of summer diarrhea of children and adults. Blackberry cordial is often
used for the same purpose.
=Red Raspberry= (_Rubus idaeus_ L. _aculeatissimus_ [C. A. Mey] Regel
& Tiling) “meskwaˈ mînagaˈ wûnj” [red bush berry]. The Flambeau Ojibwe
value the berries as a seasoner for their medicines. That is, the
flavor is used to disguise less pleasant ingredients. The root bark
makes a tea for healing sore eyes. Under the name Rubi Idei Fructus, N.
F. white men use the berries for making an agreeable syrup as a vehicle
for less pleasant tasting medicines. When the Red Raspberry is not
readily available the Black Cap Raspberry is used in the same manner.
=Meadow-sweet= (_Spiraea salicifolia_ L.), “wabûckîkiˈ bug” [rabbit
leaf]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root as a trapping medicine. There
is no record of its use by the white man.
=Steeple Bush= (_Spiraea tomentosa_ L.), “memîsgwûˈnagûg” [squaws’
drink]. The Flambeau Ojibwe make a tea from the leaves and flowers of
the Steeple Bush to drink for the sickness of pregnancy and to act as
an easy parturient. The whites have used the root and the leaves as an
astringent and tonic, in diarrhea, hemorrhages, gonorrhea, ulcers, etc.
RUBIACEAE (MADDER FAMILY)
=Goose Grass= (_Galium aparine_ L.), “sakateˈ bwi” [stickers]. The
whole plant is used by the Pillager Ojibwe to make a tea used for a
diuretic, in kidney trouble, gravel, stoppage of urine, and allied
ailments. Other species are used in much the same way and for the same
purposes. White men have recognized it as a valuable refrigerant and
diuretic, and have found it useful in diseases of the urinary organs.
It is not recommended for diseases of a passive character, on account
of its refrigerant and sedative effects, but is used freely in fevers
and all acute diseases.
=Small Cleaver= (_Galium tinctorium_ L.), “waboskîkiˈ mînûn” [rabbit
swamp berries]. The Flambeau Ojibwe make a medicinal tea from the
whole plant, for its beneficial effect upon the respiratory organs.
Eclectic practitioners have used it for its nervine, antispasmodic,
expectorant and diaphoretic properties. It has been successfully used
in asthma, cough, and chronic bronchitis. The plant has a pungent,
aromatic, pleasant, persistent taste.
=Small Bedstraw= (_Galium trifidum_ L.), “ojîbweˈ oweˈ cûwûn”, [ojibwe
male genitalia]. The Pillager Ojibwe make a medicinal tea of this
species for skin diseases such as eczema, ringworm and scrofula. White
men undoubtedly use it in much the same way as the preceding species
through error in identifying it correctly.
RUTACEAE (RUE FAMILY)
=Prickly Ash= (_Zanthoxylum americanum_ Mill.), “gawaˈ kumîc”,[125]
[its name]. Both Flambeau and Pillager Ojibwe make trips further south
to get this bark, since none of the trees grow near them. They want it
for treating quinsy and sore throat. They say that even the berries are
good for a hot tea to treat sore throat, and also to use as a spray on
the chest to cool and relieve congestion in bronchitis. Among the white
men, it is considered a stimulant, tonic, alterative and sialagogue
and is used for chronic rheumatism, colic, syphilis, and hepatic
derangements.
SALICACEAE (WILLOW FAMILY)
=Balsam Poplar= (_Populus balsamifera_ L.), “manasaˈ di” [perfume
poplar]. The Pillager Ojibwe cook the buds of the Balsam Poplar in lard
or bear fat, and use the cold product for a salve on cuts, wounds or
bruises. They also rub it on the inside of the nostrils, so that the
balsamic odors can course through the respiratory passages and open
them in case of congestion from cold, catarrh or bronchitis. Poplar
buds are also official with white men who use them as a stimulating
expectorant, and in the form of an ointment in treating sluggish ulcers
and sores. Eclectic practitioners have used tinctures of the buds
for stomach and kidney treatment and in scurvy and rheumatism, and
sometimes, apply it to the chest. The bark is used by white men for a
tonic and cathartic, of service in gout and rheumatism.
=Large-toothed Aspen= (_Populus grandidentata_ Michx.), “asadi”
[bitter bark]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the young roots of this tree in
a tea as a hemostatic. There is no record of its use by the whites.
=Quaking Aspen= (_Populus tremuloides_ Michx.), “asadi” [poplar]. The
Flambeau Ojibwe give this tree the same name as the Large-toothed
Aspen. They use the bark of a young trunk for poulticing cuts and
wounds. The astringent salacin in the inner bark undoubtedly draws
the cuts together and causes healing. The Pillager Ojibwe distinguish
the tree with a slightly different name, “asadins”, the diminutive
of “asadi”, meaning “little poplar”. They use the inner bark for
poulticing a sore arm or leg, and make the inner layer of their splints
of the inner bark so that a broken limb may heal healthily. Eclectic
practitioners use both bark and leaves in treating acute rheumatism,
also to lower the temperature in fevers, to relieve pain and reduce
arterial swellings, colds, hay fever, influenza, neuralgia and
diabetes. Externally the whites have used it as a wash for gangrenous
wounds, eczema, cancer, burns, and body odor.