curing is no less potent, even though the doctor can
hardly keep from falling all over his patient. It is always incumbent
on the shamans to be peaceful, and they never fight at the feasts.

The singing shamans invariably have a primitive musical instrument,
the rattle, with which they beat time to their singing and
dancing. Ordinarily it is made from a gourd filled with pebbles and
mounted on a short stick which serves as a handle. Another kind
is made from coarse shavings glued together. The latter variety
is not infrequently decorated with daubs of red or some similar
painting. Sometimes at the feast the shaman, even nowadays, may be
seen wearing a head-dress made of the plumes of birds. Through the
plumes the birds are thought to impart all that they know. Besides,
the plumes are supposed to keep the wind from entering the shaman's
body, and thus prevent him from falling ill.

When curing, the shamans may sometimes use rational means. There is
in existence around Norogachic for instance, a kind of sweating-bath,
made by placing in a hole in the ground, just large enough for a man
to sit in, several hot stones, pouring water on them, and covering
them up with branches of the fragrant mountain cedar. The steam
passing through the latter is credited with curative power.

The Indians know several excellent medicinal herbs. Palo amarillo is
a kind of household remedy used extensively in every family. There
are many other highly valued herbs and trees, some of which have a
wonderfully refreshing and invigorating aromatic scent. Headache is
cured by a green herb called pachoco, of which they smell until they
begin to sneeze. To cure constipation they boil ari with a grain
of salt, or they heat stones and pour water over them and sit over
the steam.

Both the sacred little cactus called hikuli and the maguey have
undoubtedly medicinal properties, but the administration of these
remedies, especially of the former, is connected with so many rites and
ceremonies that their therapeutic value becomes obscured. The curative
power of tesvino is absolutely magical, and this is the remedy to
which recourse is most commonly had. In administering it the shaman
makes his customary passes, and exhales over the patient to blow away
the disease. He also dips a small cross into the liquor, and with the
wetted end taps the sick man on the head, neck, shoulders, and back,
and draws crosses over his arms. Finally the patient is given thre