Browse:Ammonia (Volume 1, entries 1097–1098)
Ammonia
Volume 1, entries 1097–1098. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → CURE AND PROTECTION. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1097
(How would they do that?)
We'll take a bath. You get some ammonia and a spoon of salt and vinegar and you bath nine nights or mornings, whichever you prefer. You take a bath in that. That protects you, keeps your enemies from doing you anything. [Magic three ingredients.] (How much ammonia do you use?) A tablespoon of each.
(Oh, a spoon each of all those three things?)
Yeah, a tablespoon of each and you bathe.
Entry 1098
Just like if they got you crossed.
(Yes.)
You be in bad luck. You know they trying to fix you. You got a mind that they got you fixed cause you going contrary from your character - your life, you understand. Just like you wanted to - see, I'm fixed now. You go to the drug store and get you some Housekeeper Ammonia. [Sounded like housekeepah 'monia.}
(Housekeep?)
Housekeeper ammonia. You know, they got two kind - you know, the strong one and the one you use in the house for bath, you understand. You gets a bottle of that. You get you some cinammon powder. See. Then you get you some of that saltpeter - see, saltpeter and some sugar. And you put that in the same water. And get you a bar of soap what ain't never been used. Then you get right in there and you go to scrubbing your head first - just scrub all over. Then you scrub your back - just scrub - and then all the bottom of your feet. [Bathing is downward - see p.369 and Index.] And just bathe yourself. And then you could get you some - maybe any kind a good powder, you know, and just powder yourself down. And you would do that for nine mornings and they just have - they couldn't do you nothing, no way they done try.