chumash traditional medicine chumash traditional medicine chumash traditional medicine is a type of traditional medicine practiced by the chumash people of the southern coastal regions of california. this article is part of a series onalternative medicine general information alternative medicine history terminology alternative veterinary medicine quackery (health fraud) rise of modern medicine pseudoscience antiscience skepticism scientific therapeutic nihilism fringe medicine and science acupressure acupuncture alkaline diet anthroposophic medicine apitherapy applied kinesiology aromatherapy association for research and enlightenment auriculotherapy bates method black salve bodywork bone-setting bowen technique breathwork camel urine fake covid-19 treatments cancer treatments charcoal cleanse chelation therapy chiropractic chiropractic treatment techniques vertebral subluxation christian science chromotherapy colon cleansing coffee enema colorpuncture colloidal silver craniosacral 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legs leaky gut syndrome multiple chemical sensitivity wilson's temperature syndrome datura plant, commonly used in traditional chumash spirituality chumash medicine focused on treating mind, spirit, and body alike to promote the wellness of both the individual and the larger community. healing practices included a knowledge of local plants, as well as a mix of spiritual practices including prayer, singing, and dancing. post-european contact, chumash healers adapted these methods to treat changes in environment and the introduction of deadly diseases. prevention was key in promoting health, and healers took responsibility for ensuring all people worked and felt valued in the community. in the modern day, certain medicinal practices are viewed as controversial, including the treatment of menstruating women, the use of poisonous datura plant, and the consumption of dangerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. herbalism list of chumash medicinal herbs the climate of the chumash territory supported a variety of plant species, many of which were used in medicine. the following list provides a sampling of commonly used plants in chumash healing practices, but cannot be considered complete. chumash medicinal herbs plant uses common yarrow toothache, cuts, excessive bleeding sacapellote cough, cold, lung congestion, asthma, constipation chamise childbirth and menstrual complications ribbonwood (red shanks) toothache, gangrene, cold, tetanus, spasms, lockjaw, paralysis, ulcers, sore throats maidenhair fern blood disorders, regulation of menstruation, bleeding, internal injuries, kidney and liver problems coffee fern see maidenhair fern agave boils wild onion appetite stimulant, sores, insect repellant, snake and insect bites scarlet pimpernel disinfectant, eczema, ringworm yerba mansa cuts, sores, rheumatism, venereal disease, cough, cold, asthma, kidney problems coastal sagebrush headache, paralysis, poison oak rash, disinfectant mugwort cauterizing wounds, skin lesions, blisters, rheumatism, headache, toothache, asthma, measles, burns, infections california croton colds coyote brush (chaparral broom) poison oak rash spurge fever, snakebite and spider bites pineapple weed gastrointestinal disorders, regulation of menstruation, dysentery, inflammation, fever soap plant consumption spineflower fever, warts, skin diseases creek clematis ringworm, skin disruptions, venereal disease, colds, sore throat wild gourd purgative, rheumatism, nosebleed, durango root sore throat toloache (jimsonweed) pain relief, divination rattlesnake weed rattlesnake bite coastal wood fern wounds, sprains, bruises california fuchsia cuts, sores, sprains yerba santa colds, chest pain, cough, fever california buckwheat rheumatism, irregular menstruation, respiratory problems california poppy lice, colic, toothache, stomachache, analgesic sneezeweed colds, flu, scurvy sticky cinquefoil fever, stomach problems, spanish flu wedge-leaved horkelia see stick cinquefoil california juniper rheumatism, genito-urinary disorders peppergrass diarrhea, dysentery giant rye gonnorhea chuchupate pain relief, stomachache, flatulence, headache, rheumatism climbing penstemon runny nose, sore throats, wounds laurel sumac dysentery bull mallow colds, cough, fever, stomach problems cheeseweed see bull mallow similarity to chinese herbalism certain aspects of chumash healing practices have been compared to those used in chinese healing. the use of certain healing touches, as well as spiritual practices in healing are well-documented in both cultures. notably, plants of the same genus were often used to achieve the same healing effect. for example, the poppies papaver californicum in california and papaver somniferum were used to treat pain. both species contain morphine and papaverine, powerful opiates. several other medicinal parallels between the two cultures exist, including the use of diterpenoids and flavones to treat skin irritations and flavonols and tannins for diarrhea. spiritual foundations both medical philosophies rely on maintaining the balance between two forces; yin and yang for the chinese, a similar chumash concept being “the sun and sky coyote“. in chinese practice, yin is the inhibiting force, while yang is the activating. the sun and sky coyote personify the dualistic philosophy of the chumash, the hot sun and cool sky. as with traditional chinese medicine treatment principles, balance must be maintained to achieve good health, and treatment for illness usually looks to fortify whichever side is lacking, as determined by a trained healer. this duality is represented in divisions of day and night, male and female, and hot and cold, etc. for example, treatment of diseases caused by excess “cold” would include plant remedies which “warm” the patient, such as those with adrenergic properties that increase heart rate and blood flow. this principle was behind the chumash practices of bathing daily in cold water, as well as using sweat lodges and hot springs to harness the healing properties of heat. cross-cultural contact some historians argue that chinese explorers landed in california in the early 15th century, as well as other pre-columbian transoceanic contact theories, but the validity of such claims remain in dispute. however, it is likely that polynesian peoples had contact with both the chinese and indigenous peoples of california, potentially facilitating the transfer of herbology. still some maintain that humans innately look to plants as potential medicines, and only those groups which successfully utilize plants are able to survive. spiritualism in healing for the chumash people, spiritual practices played an equally important role as medicinal plants in the healing process. body, mind, and spirit were seen as indistinguishable, so treatments had to account for all aspects of the self to be effective. the first remedies focused on the spiritual to open the mind and body to healing. in chumash culture, the most important work of the healer was thought to occur before anyone fell ill by helping foster a balance of tribal values. obesity was virtually non-existent, largely due to diet and a culture which did not tolerate laziness, seen to lead to excessive weight gain. by working all day, the chumash kept physically fit, reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. the value of being an essential part of the community was thought to help strengthen the spirit. additionally, it was common for the chumash to bathe regularly, promoting good hygiene habits and as a preventative against disease. healers regularly encouraged these practices, and they themselves practiced routine fasting and prayer in order to strengthen their spirits. before treating a patient, the healer would begin with prayer to invite the participation of god (xoy in chumash) in the healing process. a patient would often lie beside a fire to benefit from the therapeutic warmth and sound of the flames. as healing was also seen as a communal process, the patient was often joined by family and friends who might offer support by participation in dancing, singing, fasting, and praying. generally, white sage was burned in a seashell to strengthen the spirit and help calm the patient, keeping them in a rational, coherent state. the shell was moved so as to allow the smoke to touch all parts of the patient. small amounts of momoy could be given to those who do not listen well, or have domineering personalities, to help them relax. humor was another valuable tool for the healer to relieve anxieties and allow the patient's spirit a chance to heal. women's health chumash women were respected as life-bringers and nurturers of family and community. as such, there was a variety of practices and treatments to help them through menstruation, childbirth, lactation, and menopause. menstruation women were kept isolated during menstruation and prohibited from eating meat or drinking cold water for three days. they also could not bathe, despite daily bathing being common in chumash culture. instead, they used the leaves of wooly bluecurls as douches. white sage was used to control heavy bleeding. dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome were treated with mugwort or paeonia californica. many treatments could be harmful in large doses and required careful ministrations. urinary tract infection urinary tract infections were treated with medicinal herbal teas meant to increase urination and raise the ph of the urine, creating a hostile environment for bacteria. teas could be made from ephedra viridis or ephedra californica, as well as corn silk. childbirth if possible, childbirth took place in a special hut under the guidance of a midwife, though it was not uncommon for pregnant women to give birth on their own if they were too far from the village. mugwort was burned as aromatherapy to ease labor pains. trichostema lanatum and trichostema lanceolatum also relieved pain and was used to facilitate delivery of the afterbirth. these plants could then be used as a douche. the umbilical cord was cut with a knife made from carrizo cane and ash was spread on the infant's navel to stop the bleeding. after giving birth, women bathed in cold water. husbands were prohibited from touching their wives after childbirth until the child could walk on its own. venereal diseases gonorrhea afflicted the chumash people pre-european contact, but cases of the disease increased with the rise of spanish missions, decreasing fertility. rock powder was believed to increase fertility. yerba mansa was believed to cure gonorrhea, as well as many other afflictions. seawater as a source of saline and other healing minerals was used to treat sores from venereal diseases, as well as medicinal tea made from carrizo cane. european colonization and chumash health chumash and alcohol in contrast to the chumash use of psychotropic substances such as peyote and datura (jimsonweed) in ritualistic practices, there is no indication that the chumash used any form of fermented alcohol, similarly to other indigenous peoples throughout north and south america prior to european contact. as explored by cross-cultural study, the chumash predisposition to alcohol abuse does not seem to stem from biological factors, but rather is a product of many societal factors. one major contributor to chumash alcohol use appears to be the spiritual relationship of the chumash to altered states of consciousness from botanical substances, such as datura. in addition, the absence of fermented beverages in pre-colonial chumash society meant an absence of societal norms for dealing with alcohol use, contrary to the methods of prohibition or moderation practiced in most european societies. thus, when the moderate to heavy drinking found in european frontier communities was introduced to the chumash and other native peoples, they were at a much higher risk for abuse. this high rate of abuse has led to a number of modern methods of alleviation, including non-native ones such as alcoholics anonymous (aa) and native practices involving spiritual and communal efforts to break addiction. research on levels of alcohol dehydrogenase (adh) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (aldh), enzymes responsible for alcohol breakdown and clearance, also indicates no biological predisposition to alcoholism for southwest california native americans (such as the chumash). there