[Illustration: Apache Medicine-man] Apache Medicine-man _From Copyright Photograph 1907 by E.S. Curtis_ Many of the medicine-men have some knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants and generally make use of them in the treatment of disease, but their treatment consists more of incantation than aught else. Even in collecting the plants they invoke the deities, usually facing the cardinal points in turn. In case the prescription calls for a combination of herbs or other vegetal products, the number four is always strictly adhered to; it might be a decoction made of four roots of one variety or of a single root from each of four varieties of plants. Every Apache medicine-man has a medicine skin, his _ĕpú̆n ezchí_, inscribed with the symbolism of the tribal mythology. With his prayer wands he rehearses the symbolic figures, praying to the mythical characters who are regarded as most efficacious in the particular ailment under treatment. In his own little _kówa_, or dwelling, with the painted deerskin spread before him, on which are delineated the symbolic representations of a score of gods comprising the Apache pantheon, a medicine-man will sit and croon songs and pray all day and all night in the hope of hearing the voices of celestial messengers. Many of the prayers and songs of the Apache medicine-men are very beautiful. The following is an example: 1 _Stĕná pĕhí̆nda nzhóni, tógonĭl ádahĕ bé̆oĭshka__n__._ 2 _Inaté̆sh nzhóni bé̆oĭshka__n__._ 3 _Ĕnŭdé̆tsos nzhóni bé̆oĭshka__n__._ 4 _Ĭnyátĭl nzhóni bé̆oĭshka__n__._ 5 _Bé̆hnandahĭ ĭnkéhĭ tógonĭl ádahĕ bé̆oĭshka__n__._ 6 _Ĭndú̆h bĭnandáhĕ bé̆oĭshka__n__._ 7 _Bĕh nashálolĕzh ndĕ; nashéyo shĭchí̃sĭgo__n__ zhó__n__dolĕzh._ 8 _Ndĕ shĭnklóho bĕh sanandáhĕ bé̆oĭshka__n__._ 9 _Bĕh sanashádo bé̆oĭshka__n__._ 10 _No oskó__n__go adĭshní daházhĭ bĕhnashádo ti ndĕ ta nashéyo go__n__zhódo._ 11 _Shágocho paógo násha._ 12 _Akúd ndĕ sa nzhóni yé̆sĭtchĭ yé̆atido._ 13 _Pídi yú̆gga sa nzhóni yé̆kĭssĭn shí̃dĭl é̆ndo._ 14 _Shĭtú̆h gozhó__n__dolĕzh pógo hádĭshndi._ 1 _Stĕnátlĭhă__n__, you are good, I pray for a long life._ 2 _I pray for your good looks._ 3 _I pray for good breath._ 4 _I pray for good speech._ 5 _I pray for feet like yours to carry me through a long life._ 6 _I pray for a life like yours._ 7 _I walk with people; ahead of me all is well._ 8 _I pray for people to smile as long as I live._ 9 _I pray to live long._ 10 _I pray, I say, for a long life to live with you where the good people are._ 11 _I live in poverty._ 12 _I wish the people there to speak of goodness and to talk to me._ 13 _I wish you to divide your good things with me, as a brother._ 14 _Ahead of me is goodness, lead me on._ While this prayer is worded as if uttered by the supplicant, it is in reality offered by the medicine-man in his behalf.