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Show Medicine and Cures Like all people, the Utes had ways of curing both illness and wounds. Mothers needed to help their children when they were sick, and the leaders of war or hunting parties needed to know what to do when a man was wounded. Many of the medicines were made from plants which grew where the Utes lived. These cures have gradually been abandoned as white doctors have become more common, but many of them worked very well and are still sometimes used by the older people. 1. Spearmint leaves â€" these leaves were picked and brewed and used for an upset stomach. They were also picked fresh and wrapped in a cloth and applied directly on a swollen area. This was especially effective on bee stings. 2. Sugar â€" it was poured directly over large cuts, to help suppress the bleeding. 3. Grease (tallow which was melted, or any fat) â€" this was also used to suppress bleeding. 4. Flour â€" generally browned in a frying pan and when it was thoroughly browned, water was added and this was given to the patient to curb diarrhea. 5. Skunk grease â€" This is used on chapped skin areas, usually the hands and feet. 6. Urine â€" this was not human urine, but urine from a horse. It was used on raised pustules which broke and caused severe itching. 7. Potatoes â€" they were sliced and soaked in vinegar and tied to the forehead with a handerchief when a headache persisted. 8. Sagebrush â€" it was boiled, as a tea, and used with a little sugar and given to a person with a cold. It could also be rubbed between the hands into a person's shoe and this would curb the smell. 9. Tobacco â€" a small amount of tobacco would be put into a decayed tooth to alleviate the pain. When cotton was available the tobacco would be wrapped and then packed into the decayed area, thus eliminating the horrible taste. |