DCHP-1 Online
bad medicine 
1a in Indian parlance: misfortune; witchcraft; evil genius.
See also: big medicine good medicine
- 1825 (1931) Some of them have it that I am one of the "Master of Life's Sons" sent to see "if their hearts were good" and others that I am his "War Chief" with bad medicine if their hearts were bad.
- 1955 His widow laid his death at Black's door; the bad medicine of the white trader was the cause of it, she said. . . .
1b in Indian parlance: in phrases employing throw.
- c1804 (1890) It is very singular that they seldom impute sickness to any natural cause, but . . . imagine that some person has . . . thrown bad medicine in their way.
- 1897 Others were seen rubbing their eyes, as though they feared that by some witchery bad medicine had been thrown in them. . . .
1c in Indian parlance: certain objects believed to have the power to work evil magic against an enemy.
- 1922 About her person she carried the renowned "Bad Medicine" that every Indian believes in--medicine that weakened the arm of the warrior in battle.
2 Slang anything worthless or undesirable.
- 1962 "Bad medicine," "chaffy" . . . and "pizen," are applied to anything worthless on the Eastern slope of the Rockies. . . .
- 1825 (1931) Some of them have it that I am one of the "Master of Life's Sons" sent to see "if their hearts were good" and others that I am his "War Chief" with bad medicine if their hearts were bad.