Chippewa Remedies for a Sore Mouth, Teething Gums and Toothache: Alum Root and Sumac Wash, Waterlily, Geranium, Calamus, Lady's Slipper (Densmore, 1928)

Five rows under "Sore mouth" and "Toothache". Recorded use, not medical advice.

Boil one alum root and one sumac blossom (cut while the white bloom is on) in a teacup of water (ours: about 200 ml), strain and cool. "Put it on something soft and wash the child's mouth." It was said to heal the gums quickly.

Dry and finely powder white waterlily root, or dry and powder wild geranium root, and put it in the mouth. The geranium was used especially for children.

Chew the dried root, or drink a decoction of it. Densmore notes this was used for children.

Dry and powder the root, moisten it and put it on the decayed tooth. Ours: wild lady's slippers are protected in many places; do not dig them.

From Frances Densmore, *Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians*, **44th Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology** (1928), pp. 342-343 (checked on the archive.org scan usesofplantsbych00dens). Chippewa remedies were mostly Midewiwin knowledge, shared so a record would survive. Left out: a toothache fungus she could not identify. Teacup volume and safety lines are ours. Recorded use, not medical advice.