When a person becomes ill, a family council is held and it is decided that a medicine man, or doctor, must be called. The father, or some male relative, mixes a small amount of corn meal with powdered turquoise and wraps it in a corn husk. This he takes to the medicine man and, placing it in his hand, tells him what is wanted. The medicine man agrees to come in the evening. During the day the family prepares food, while the doctor prays and prepares his medicines. In the evening the doctor comes to the patient’s home and prepares for the examination. Smearing ashes on his hands, as protection against witches, he removes the patient’s clothing and feels over his body, searching for the cause of the illness. Upon completing his diagnosis, the doctor mixes a medicine of powdered herbs and water and gives it to the patient to drink. Then, after assuring the patient that he will recover, the doctor leaves. If, however, the patient fails to recover and grows worse, the entire medicine society is called in. Again, the father takes corn meal and powdered turquoise to the medicine man and requests that the society perform a healing ceremony. If the patient’s condition is critical, the doctor agrees to bring the members of the society in the evening. If there seems to be no immediate emergency, he agrees to bring them after four days have passed. During the four-day period, preparations are made. The priests pray and get their ceremonial equipment ready and each morning, in order to cleanse themselves, drink emetics that cause them to vomit. The family of the sick person prepares great quantities of food so the priests may be fed and all members of the family cleanse themselves by vomiting each morning. If the emetic does not cause vomiting, a long feather is thrust down the person’s throat until the desired result is obtained. On the evening of the fourth day the patient is taken into the kiva of the medicine society. Two men, armed with bows and arrows, are stationed outside the kiva to keep witches away. On the kiva floor the priests have made a small painting by using corn meal of different colors and around the painting are prayersticks, fetishes of the curing animals, rattles, eagle feathers, bags of herb medicines and other ceremonial equipment. Upon entering the kiva, the patient sits down or, if he is very ill, lies down in front of the meal-painting.