Browse:CURE AND PROTECTION (Volume 1, entries 1090–1706)/Part 2
CURE AND PROTECTION
Volume 1, entries 1090–1706. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1170
They say if you've got a spell on you, you take a black hen egg - jis' wear it in your bosom for three days. Then, at night, take it out an' put it under your bed, under your bed on the floor [each night during the three days]. They say that spell'll leave right on you an' go into that egg. Go out in the morning [of fourth day] and put it in de runnin' water - break it.
Entry 1171
A fresh aig an' git to de middle of dem steps an' dig yo' a hole an' turn de sharp end of it up an' cover it up wit salt - cover it up an' all de roots an' things dey put down can't hurt me. Dat fresh aig an' salt sucks it all up.
Entry 1172
Anybody would be botherin' yo', git chew two aigs, yessuh, an' have some of yore fren's tuh throw 'em at chew. Yo' walk from yore place yo' see, an' have dem jes' throw dose aigs in yore back an' vo' feel dey bust, an' den dere's nobody kin trouble yo' or nobody will bother yo' atall.
(They just have to break these eggs on your own back.)
Jes'- no suh, don't break 'em on yore back, jes' throw 'em right tuh yore feet chew know.
(Break them behind you?)
Right behin' yo' at chure feet - any kinda chicken aigs. (Two of them. That'll keep the law away or anybody that is trying to disturb you?) Yes, dey even cain't fin' yo' wheresomevah yo's at.
Entry 1173
Kin take dem chicken feathers - oh, prob'bly six or eight, ah've been told and burn 'em together; see, an' enhale dat smoke and that will heal yore misery in de head.
Entry 1174
A black hen's feathah is good fo' dizziness, if a person has a fit. An' yo' git de feathahs off dat black hen an' yo' keep her in yore home, an' when he go tuh have one of these fits yo' git these feathahs an' yo' burn 'em. Jis' as yo' set 'em afire an' dey start tuh burn, yo' blow de fire out an' let de smoke escape up dere nose an' dat'll surely cure 'em.
Entry 1175
Black chicken feathers, they burn them tuh drive evil spirits, dey say.
(Drive them away?)
Yes sir - tuh drive them away.
Entry 1176
If yo' have a lotta ghosts an' things, or yore house is hanted, well, at night yo' take a pan of chicken feathers an' sulphur an' put it in a pan an burn it. Dat'll [also] keep all de insex [insects] from round yore house.
(All these ghosts and things?)
Yessuh - dat'll shore keep dem away.
Entry 1177
When yo' think anybody has done anything to yore home, yo' burn chicken feathers and sulphur there.
(What will that do?)
Say that wards off what they have did. (You mean if they are trying to plant anything around there or sprinkle anything?) You set, yo' know, jest like if yo' were going to fumigate the house and burn that; yo' put pepper, sulphur and chicken feathers together - rather, to get black feathers is the best feathers.
Entry 1178
Well, yo' jes' have to strip up necked an' light de fire an' burn her feathers - stan' ovah it an' burn dat [bad] luck off her.
(What do you burn?)
Black hen an' sulphur.
(Black hen what?)
Feathers.
(And she stands in that smoke - that is just to give her luck?)
Luck an' successful.
Entry 1179
Well, yo' kin put dat in hot water, yo' know, an' den let de patient sit ovah dat to draw down dat afterbirth. Yo' know, when yo' find a woman dat can't pass dat afterbirth, yo' kin take those chicken feathers an' make a hot bath out of 'em an' put it in dat hot water an' let her jest sit right ovah dat pan an' dat'll jes' clear her right up.
(Any kind of chicken feathers?)
Yes sir.
Entry 1180
Heard of 'em using chicken feathers fo' trouble round de home. Dey take de feathers of a black hen an' saturate it wit sulphur an' yo' bury dat under yore do'step. Dat will run off all de trouble an' harm round yore home.
Entry 1181
Dey use chicken feathers, dey say to take spells off people - dappled. dese speckled feathers. Yo' take 'em an' yo' put 'em in a pot or a pan an' yo' fry 'em down to a medicine lak, an' if dere anybody dat swole up or root worked or somethin' lak dat, yo' bathe 'em down with that. Yo' cook dat [feathers] down in pure lard.
Entry 1182
(These fingernails and toenails?)
Toenails an' parch 'em - put 'em in de stove an' parch 'em - cut 'em up real fine befo' yo' parch 'em an' then yo' take an' put 'em in de stove. An' they'll put i-dene [iodine] on 'em - i-dene - aftah dey done dried out. Jis' sew 'em in a red flannel an' then git a little piece of feather from a chicken an' put that in there with it.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep dem from harmin' yo'. [This is a protective hand - see next subsection Hands.]
Entry 1183
Yo' git de inside of de chicken gizzard, see - yo' know when yo' clean a chicken, yo' got a skin yo' pulls out dat gizzard. Well, dat's de part yo' Want - dat skin. Yo' keep dat. Well, yo' pound dat up an' if yo' were doctorin' on anybody dat had any kinda poison in 'em, yo' jes' pound it up an' put it in his medicine or in water, whatsomevah yo' givin' 'im, an' let him drink dat an' yo' would see dat poison leave.
Entry 1184
Any chicken that you kill, they say burn the head of it. They say, but I don't know - this what they call hoodooism - couldn't bother you or nothin'.
Entry 1185
Heard of 'em usin' chicken dirt - it's good take hives offa babies, or eithah nuse [use] for jis' any kinda, yo' know, bumps that chew break out with. Yo' kin take that an' give hot tea an' it will break 'em out on 'em.
Entry 1186
(How do you handle chickenpox?)
Well, yo' boil this tea - yo' kin make it outa hen manure. Git dat white - dat little white speck on dere an' yo' make tea outa it an' den yo' give it tuh de individual. Dat breaks it out an' also dey begin tuh dry up.
Entry 1187
All you have to do is go to the henhouse and get some of that white hen manure. Jes' take and rub it on your forehead and stroke your jaws with it, and they can't do a thing in the world to you.
Entry 1188
You take a snake bite - and if a snake bite you, you can take chicken manure and make a poultice out of it, you understand. See, like you got a sore in amongst there and the doctors can't cure that sore, take chicken manure and put it on that sore. You understand. And it'll draw that sore and take all the inflammation out of it and heal it up.
Entry 1189
Chicken manure? They use that to rot people teeth out.
(How would they do it?)
Well if, a person bite another person, they get just enough for 'em to do that.
(What do they do?)
Rub 'em - like chicken manure and sugar. You burn that sugar till it turn a dark brown, mix it with that chicken manure and rub it on that sore, and it rot that person's teeth out sure as hell.
(You mean. if they bite you?)
If they bite you. [The story told by Vander's wife is surely an unsurpassable account for this rite - see No. 888, p.319.]
Entry 1190
Yo' bite 'em [he bites you] like tonight and dey [you] got a nice bunch of chickens - jest any kind of chicken, you know. Ever' mornin' fer about nine mornin's yo' go out and you says yore prayers right at the chicken coop and jest as yo' go - jest as yo' say de last prayer, last work in de prayer, say, "Lord have mercy, ' you rub some of dat chicken manure over dere - right fresh chicken stuff and dat will rot yore [his] teeth out.
Entry 1191
If a person should bite chew, go tuh de (dere)[transcriber's comment] chicken coop on a dark night an' git some chicken dung an' put on it an' dere teeth will rotten out.
(Must.it be on a dark night?)
Yes.
(Any kind of chicken manure?)
Any kinda chicken manure. [De and dere meaning the and their or there are occasionally so much alike it is impossible to distinguish them. Neither transcriber nor I was certain whether the bitten victim went to his own or the biter's chicken coop. Dark night looks like biter's - if so, it is unusual.]
The informant specifies chicken manure in a bite-related account; the location of the chicken coop is explicitly uncertain.
Entry 1192
Dey say dey take chicken manure. Dey take it and dey mix some of it with anything dat chew drink - take and mix it up and you drink it. If you ever drink any of it all yore teeth will fall out chure haid. A lotta people do's it fer revenge.
Entry 1193
[The preceding teeth rites using chicken manure are usual; not so usual are teeth rites using chicken eggs that follow:] A black hen egg is for to rot your teeth out, something like that if a person bites cha.
(How would you do that?)
Well, if I'd bite you and put a bad bite on you, you would take a black hen's egg: You'd take that egg and break the egg and rubs it on this place. When this place gets well your teeth gon'a fall out. But you gotta shorely get a black hen's egg.
Entry 1194
If yo' happen to kiss her - if you kiss a woman and she happen to love you so hard and another woman got de best right of her, she [first woman] kin take and kiss you and den go and take a black hen egg and wash her mouth wit it and you kiss again and yo' lose yore teeth.
(Take a black hen egg and wash her mouth with it. You mean with that yolk?)
No, de white.
(Oh, the white of the egg. And you kiss her again, you'll lose your teeth.)
You'll lose all your teeth - they will rot down all one by one.
Entry 1195
[Oil of cinnamon is usually confined to compounded ingredients.]
Now yo' go - ah go to de drug sto'. Yo' know oil of cinnamon? Ah go git dat. Dat cost a dime, oil of cinnamon - ten cents. An' ah go, ah'll git de oil of cinnamon, yo' see, an' yo' takes dat an' rub it on yore hands all de time. Well, dat will keep yo' out all de trouble in de world. [After this informant leaves I comment to Telediphone:] (End of 1250. That fellow was a fortune-teller. He didn't seem to know very much about my particular work.) [This means his unrecorded conversation lacked interest or was too diffuse. I probably appointed him an assistant contact man. For both of these See Introduction.]
Entry 1196
If lightnin' would hit a house an' whenevah dey would swallah some of dat flame or smoke dataway an' dey take de black cow's milk an' give 'em a drink of it, dat de only thing will revive him, yo' see, cause aftah yo' git hit by lightnin' or ketch smoke or anything dataway, it ketch yo' wit a sharp disease. If yo' kin git pure black cow's milk an' drink about a quart, dat will ease yo'. Dat de only thing would do yo' any good. It bettah den any medicine dat de physician give yo'.
Entry 1197
Use it fo' shingles. Yo' evah hear 'em tell of people usin' it fo' havin' shingles?
(No, tell me all about it.)
Yo' take that black cow's milk an' yo' wash dat whole place wit it. Yo' know de shingles starts in a patch an' yo' jes' keep it, yo' know, saturated wit dat black cow's milk.
Entry 1198
Well, ah've heard of 'em gittin' de blood of a snake, a poison snake, an' put it into whiskey an' give a person an' that will grow snakes in them, so ah've heard. When the snakes grow in a person, they kin take sweet milk an' mix it with the grease, which would be lard or somethin' - make a salve an' grease the intestines wit dat chew know, with this grease an' it will draw the snakes because milk will draw a snake, an' it will draw dem from 'em.
(What do you mean grease the intestines?)
Ah don't mean de intestines, ah mean de rectum.
(And the snake would come out that way?)
He come tuh git dat milk - vo' see, he git de scent of dat milk an' he'll gradually git so far he has tuh come on out.
Entry 1199
If a person comes back, they get some new lumber, put an addition to the house with the new lumber. And if that don't stop them [ghost], you get sweet milk and dress all the rooms with the sweet milk. You take the sweet milk and put it on and boil. Then you take something like a little broom, something that will sprinkle, and sprinkle all the rooms good with milk. That's supposed to stop 'em.
Entry 1200
Well, ah know de woman. Once dey had a woman fren', supposed to be, an' she wus jealous of her an' de boy fren'. So in comin' to dis woman's house she tried to break 'em up by talkin' to her an' she couldn't. So den she dressed de do'knob, dressed her do'knob fo' dis woman. An' dis woman dat wus dressed, it started from one finger as a red spot an' den dis red spot grew cross from finger to finger, every finger excepting de thumb. So dis woman's han' swole clean down to dis finger, an' got to de place where she couldn't open it, couldn't git it up ovah her haid, an' she re'lly didn't know whut tuh do. She did things an' did things an' fin'lly she wus told to git her chamber lye an' to put fresh salt in it an' to wash de do'knob with it, an' it would turn white, an' to do dat fo' nine days. An' den she tole 'er to go to a cow lot an' git dis hot passage from de cow an' put a plaster in her han' dat night an' de nex' mawnin' her han' would be as white as a piece of cloth, an' it would rid her of ever'thing. An' she did dat an' dat cured it. (She wiped off that doorknob each day for nine days. She didn't put any chamber lye on her hand or anything?) No - jes' de do'knob.
(All she put on her hand was this cow manure?)
Dat's it - one time. [For interesting story of cow manure on head, see No.967, p.362.]
Entry 1201
And there was another fellow here. His wife had his skin, his urine, his action and everything, she had it all in a bottle and had it buried an' that poor fellow - he was all he could do to walk, he could not straighten up and he bend that way for eleven months. And he couldn't eat anything but a little crackers, a little sweet milk. He came down there one evening dragging - he came in. She [doctor] went back in there - she had been out in the country and she got a big old cow turd and she tied it up in a rag and made him a big cup of tea. He drank that - he drank it, ever bit of it. She said, "Now lay down." " And he slept for about three or four hours and when he got up from there could stand straight. She give him 15c worth of castor oil and about half of a bottle of Sal Hepatica. That is what he needed and it cleaned him out. And she gave him mounds [incense molded into small conical mounds] to take home and watch his wife to burn. [While he burned the mounds, his wife was burning.] And I mean it took every bit off him, put it right back on her. She gave him the brown and black mounds to burn. He burnt these while his wife was gone and threw it right back on her. Just lighted them and burn them in the house where him and her stayed and slept.
Entry 1202
My mother, she was hoodooed at Miss S's house. I guess, if you ever been up on Cherry Street to old S's - they Was Jews - but she had a woman there named Tuley[?] S. Well, my mother was a pastry cook - she was making twelve dollars a week, but this other woman she didn't like that 'cause she wasn't getting the money. But if she got rid of my mother that would be her job. She hoodoo her in her shoe. She put somethin' in her shoe - just poisoned her same as a rattlesnake. She was a hoodoo. And her [mother's] feet come to bothering her and was swollen. Doc come to my mother.
(Doctor Robey?) [Informant had mentioned him in another story.]
Doctor Robey, and told her to go out in the pasture and get some cow manure where it's done got brown just like - just done caked up, and make a tea out of it. Get her a beef gall and -
(What was that - a beef gall?)
A beef gall, and take that beef gall and squeeze a little of that syrup from out of there - whatever it is - squeeze it into that tea and drink it. That stuff come out of her black as your hair - from out of - you know, black as your hair. And she before that - she didn't die neither. That ole man cured her. [My hair was dark brown. Usually informants said, "As black as your hat," referring to an old black hat concealing a microphone on the table - see Intro- duction and in Index, Author, black hat of.]
(Just put the beef gall into this cow manure tea?)
Into the cow manure tea. Boil this cow manure.
Entry 1203
In some parts of the South they claim, if you get some dirt from the cemetery and put it in a box and place it under the steps of your enemy, it will cause trouble in their home. And oft times they sought a cunjure man and he in turn gives them a piece of rawhide and tells them at intervals to tie a knot till that string is exhausted. That will do away with the evil spirit. [See Spirit Caught in Knot, p.389.]
Entry 1204
Take a crab or anything like that - you just done heard people say - which you could parch. You parch their shell, you know, just like you'd ketch a live crab and you burn him. You burn a live crab and after you burn him down to dust, you take some hot water and sugar - like if you was crossed. If you know that people have got you crossed, that you can't be successful or nothing, you're starving, you take that crab, the whole crab, and you put him down in the fire and you parch him there, but have it where that you could get all that dust from him. Well, you get this crab and you get you some sugar and hot water, and you crumble that crab down in that. You pours your cayenne pepper down in there with your salt. You take that crab dust that you burned off, and you get down in that water and you stay in that water. You bathe from the mole [mold] of your head - just like this here [demonstrates] - just like I would take water with my hand - just like taking water with your hand - don't use no towels or nothing - just with your necked [naked] hand like that. See. Take it and you wash all over with that. Then, after you get out of there, you take this here crab shell what you done parched down to dust ~ take some sugar in with it - and you rub your hands and everything like that - come on down with it just the way you bathe [this is a dry bath] and nobody couldn't do you no harm or nothing. [This is a reversing rite - a crab moving backwards, here uncrosses the cross.]
Entry 1205
Dey supposed to let nobody see it. Dey digs a hole.
(At the forks of the road.) [He had said this before I turned on my machine.]
At de forks of the road - four forks of de road. Dey dig a hole and dey git de red sand. Well, dat is fo' if anybody do anything to yo', yo' know, an' yo' boil it in water with lemons and yo' drink it. Dat is supposed to be if anybody do anything to yo' for bad luck. Jes' like yo' is in bad luck - well, yo' do dat and dat is supposed to cut de bad luck off yo'.
Entry 1206
I walk to the forks of the road [crossroad]. I make four steps east and I make four steps west, I make four steps north and I make four steps south. Then I walk east if there's any dirt there. I gets me a small 'mount of that dirt and I bring it home and I take a little piece of pasteboard and in each corner of the house, if hoodoo is round, I just lay the dirt round in the corner, just lay it on the floor. If anything is in there that is hoodoo, it going to be moved. (You put a little bit of this dirt in the four corners of the house and then you tack this pasteboard over it.) Then the hoodoo is going to be moved, there is no mistake about it.
Entry 1207
Dat devil-shoestring [goat's-rue - Tephrosia virginiana] - well, if anyone hurt chew, why yo' jis' git it an' jis' wear it in yore purse or pocket- book an' also dat John de Conker root. Yo' jis' wear it round yo'. An' den it's lucky, too.
Entry 1208
A woman live out heah - she out heah now. She lived out to - by de Fairfax[?]. Well, she wus heah [in town] an' somebody put somepin down to her do'step an' she stepped ovah it an' dis laig here drawed up. An' hit's a man lived out heah from Sappville[?], Uncle Tom Williams, he brought some devil's- shoestring an' he tole us about how he did it. An' he tied it round dis laig an' tied a piece round her wase [waist] an' one round her ahm [arm], an' she got so she could walk. An' de doctors say she would nevah walk no mo'. An' he took dat devil's-shoestring an' wrapped it an' twist it, put round dere - put three pieces round her. [The magic three.] Dat laig straightened out an' she went to walkin' agin.
Entry 1209
If they put somethin' down fo' yo' tuh walk ovah, yo'll take devil's- shoestring. Yo' know dis devil's-shoestring. Yo'll git dis devil's-shoestring an' yo' tie it round, possible round heah.
(Where?)
Round yore laigs - devil's-shoestring tied around yore laigs an' let it stay right there round yore laig nine days. After nine days yo' take it an' tie you nine knots in each one dem strings yo' got round laig. Den yo' kin walk ovah anything dey put down dere - won't harm yo'. Tie dat devil's-shoestring right round heah - two strands of it. An' after nine days, den yo' tie nine knots in it an' wear it nine mo' days, understand, an' then yo' kin walk ovah anything an' it ain't gonna hurt cha.
(You tie one piece around each leg just below the knee?)
That's right.
Entry 1210
(They do what with the dirt dauber's nest?)
Make a tea out of it an' strain the tea an' give it to 'em to drink. Dey give it to 'em tuh drink. Dey give de girls in de home - young girls in de home an it will make dere periods start on 'em if dey have nevah start an' dey won't have any pains. Dat's de onlies' [only-est] thing dat ah heard dat wus good fo'.
Entry 1211
When a person is in labor with a baby an' dey don't have de baby, an' it seem dey can't have it, de ole lady dey had dey take de dirt dauber an' jes' throw de nest - de whole business in right hot boilin' watah an' den took it off an' let it steep. An' den give it to de woman an' dat makes de lil' one come right out. Dat's whut ah heard about dirt dauber.
Entry 1212
If a woman's in birth an' pain, it seems to be slow, well yo' kin git dat dirt dauber nest - git dem lil' daubers out of it. [Whole nest is not used as in preceding remedy.] Go an' git dat little trash out of it an' put it in a cup of hot water an' let it steep. Strain it an' put chew in a - jes' 'cordin' to how much yo' got. If yo' got a half of a half a pint of it, well yo' put a half of a half a pint of whiskey into half a pint of it an' give her a teacup of dat. An' in ten minutes aftah she drink it de pains rise on her - de pains will rise. An' when de pains rise den de watah first will bust - de watah bag, dat'll bust. When dat'll bust den de baby will come out.
Entry 1213
De dirt dauber nest - if a chile teethin' or anythin' lak dat, take de dirt dauber nest an' rub its gum all kind [ways] lak dat yo' know. It's one de best teethin' medicines yo' kin git in de country. Yo' can't git nuthin out de drug store to beat dat.
Entry 1214
I've seen 'em take a dirt dauber's nest and they cook it - see, it's nothing but - look like mud - that's all it is, but it's good though, you know. I've seen 'em take and cook a dirt dauber's nest. But they've taken it and they cooked it and they cook it with what they call this here linseed oil. Well, linseed oil is good for rubbing of any kind, but they taken this and they cooked this dirt dauber's nest with that linseed oil. See. Now when they've cooked it, it comes into a paste - after they done cooked it. You see, they left all that oil out of it - as the oil was cooking out of it, it 'vaporated or something of that sort. Well, anyhow, it came into a paste and it made just about a little box of stuff [demonstrates] - just about that big around, must have been about that deep. Well, anyway, it was a boxful, but it come into a salve. Now, there was a baby that was born with it's navel - it was stuck out about that big [demonstrates]. Well, they cleaned the baby up - I can show you that very baby, too - it's navel is out now - it's about like that [demonstrates].
(It was born with it's navel sticking out like that?)
But now, it's sticking out about that much now.
(About an inch?)
Yeah. [That baby is] right down here a couple of blocks. Well, they say that baby was crossed. Well, that's what they was told to do and how to do it. They taken and they boiled that - they cooked this dirt dauber's nest in this linseed oil. When they first rubbed the baby - her navel was sticking like this - they crossed that navel.
(How do you mean they crossed it?)
They'd taken and they took the stuff, you see, and they made a plaster out of it, you see, and they come thataway with it and they come this way - made a cross on it. And they made that cross and then they rubbed all around it, you see. Like the navel sets right here and it was sticking out like about like that, see. They crossed it and then they rubbed all around that place there, you see. Then they rubbed that navel - they pulled and they shoved it - they pulled and they shoved the navel like that - and they did that for about nine days, greasing that every day three times a day until the baby's navel went back. And they said that if they wouldn't of used that, that baby s navel would a been out today. That's the only thing I ever know 'em to use it for - the dirt dauber's nest for - to do good.
Entry 1215
Yo' kin take dirt daubers an' make a tea out of it an' cure de measles, whoopin' cough of a chile - boil it. Dat's de onlys thing mah mothah have did with it.
Entry 1216
Ah wus throw'd aftah once an' mah mouth wus round dataway an' de nose wus dataway [demonstrates].
(Just twisted to one side.)
Twisted to one side - jes' layin' heah, right heah. Well, ah went tuh Dr. Halpin, a medical doctor, an' he gived me some little white, large pills yo' see. Well, de pills seems tuh do me some little good but didn't do me much. One man [root doctor] come tuh me, says, "Yo' git chew some dirt dauber nest." Well, ah got dat dirt dauber nest wit de young ones. It's mighty nasty, all right 'nuff - an' ah mashed it up - dat dirt dauber nest - got me some saltpeter an' ah mixed it up good - stirred it yo' know, de stuff. An' ah took dat dirt dauber nest every night an' mawnin' an' rubbed de side of mah face. Ah wus fixed thataway. Jes' lak mah nose wus turned, why [demonstrates] it druv it from dis side dis way, keep arubbing that thing thataway.
Entry 1217
Heard dat chew kin take a dirt dauber nest an' if a person bleeding to death, an' kin cure 'em with it. Yo'll powder it up an', an' bandage 'em up wit it. I cure whut othah things ah don't know.
Entry 1218
If anybody's tryin' tuh harm yo' - 'specially if it's round yore neighborhood roun' dere - jes' git some of de graveyard dirt an' fix it up, an' fix de dauber nest an' de graveyard dirt an' de cookin' salt an' de sulphur undah de steps - or take a aig -
(What are you doing that for now?)
Put it up undah de step an' run dem away - keep dem from harmin' yo'. [For dirt dauber protection and health, see Tomb of the Babe of Bethlehem in Interview section.]
Entry 1219
Now a thing dat brings luck - something fo' bringing luck that's good, yo' kin protect a person from being witchcrafted - something dat goes high an' low [high and low covers all contingencies - a dirt dauber flies high and low]. He kin take that dirt dauber nest an' he take sweet spices - jes' a whole grain spice an' he beat up de dirt dauber nes' an' de spices an' he sprinkles or throw it up in de air an' dat brings luck an' also keep away the evil spirits from dat person's premises or wheresomevah they are dwelling.
Entry 1220
Git dirt dauber nest an' use it as a help to keep a person from harmin' or gittin' up to yo', doin' anything to yo'. If a man taken a sock or somethin' [of yours] an' harmin' yo' that way, a dirt dauber nest kin be wo'n about yo' in yore pocket or eithah in yore shoe an' dey cain't harm yo' in no way.
Entry 1221
If a person got chure foot track - you live in de yard, de same yard an' he take yore foot track out - you go back in de house and de same dirty water you wash in de dishpan, you throw it in de bottom of yore shoes and throw it in yore track and back out de gate fer three mawnings. Den dat person will turn loose yore foot track.
(If a person has my foot track? I see, that's to get rid of the spell.)
That's to get rid of the spell.
Entry 1222
She take dat bow in yo' hat. When she git dat bow in yo' hat, she's got somepin dat re'lly belongs to yo' fer true. Well, now when she git dat bow in yo' hat, you crazy to see her, you understand. But de way git rid of dat, yo'll take and take you a dishrag and squeeze de water into yo' hat - squeeze de water out dat dishrag into yo' hat. See, she done got dat bow out chure hat. Well, after you done squeeze de water out dat dishrag into yo' hat, that bow what she got is no good to her.
(Well, after she got that bow, what would she do with that bow?)
She would take dat bow and tie it up and put it in her mattress an' draw yo' more near to her. [For dishwater curing guinea sickness, see No. 991, p.382.]
Entry 1223
A girl in Jacksonville, Florida, heah 'bout foah yeahs ago, she wus sick. Well, she lingered an' lingered an' lingered. Well, lotta folks thought maybe she wus witchcrafted an' all lak dat, but de chile was tuberculosis like de doctor tole her. De doctor tole her mother that she had de consumption, yo' see, an' she had to be taken a good piece back in heah [inland] to some spring or 'nothah. Well, dere own mother spent a lotta money taken her to dat spring up dere. Still it didn't do any good. So ah came on back an' ah tole her mother, said, "Well, Delia, listen," ah say, "nuthin dis chile eat won't stay on its stomach." Ah say, "Peaches or nuthin like dat hold on her stomach." Ah say, "Jest a little whut chew call gruel soup." Ah say, "Listen heah, try mah remedy." Now, ah had a remedy heah yeahs ago dat a [someone told me]. "Yo' kin take a dog, jest draw a little blood out of him - yo' ain't gotta kill him to git his blood," ah said. "Tuh git his blood, jest draw a little blood like a person draw a little blood outa yo', ' ah said, "an' put 'bout three or foah drops into a aig, see, an' beat de aig up fine. After yo' beat de aig up fine," ah said, "put jest about two or three drops of kerosene, one drop of turpentine, into this aig an' whup it up. After yo' done whup it an' - po' [in] jest about a half a pint of real good whiskey, not moonshine but real good seal whiskey [unbroken revenue stamp on the bottle]." Ah said, "Let her drink it." Ah said, "Now jest give her whut chew call a dose of it - jest lak yo' give her a dose of doctor's medicine." Ah says, "See if dat do any good." Ah say, "Yo' jest try dat."
Entry 1224
Den you kin take and feed dat dog - kill dat dog and get her blood while - if she's howling and gwine on and cuttin' up, and feed it to a person and he'll howl jest like dat dog. He'll howl - you'll put him to howlin', you see, put him to howlin'. He jest howlin' like a dog: [For another method of making a person bark like a dog, see No. 775, p.256.]
Entry 1225
T. B's? There's a Way to kill that.
(How would you do that?)
You take a fat dog, you try to get a bird dog - like anyone got T. B., and you takes and you cut that fat off there and you fry it and get that grease, and you bottle up that grease and you keep it on ice or something like where it won't spoil, you know. And give her, this person that got the T. B., one tablespoorful of that grease for every meal she eats. And because this is - T. B's a germ that gets in your system and medicine can't get there, but this here grease it gets there from that dog and it kills that germ.
Entry 1226
Say yo' could take a dog when she's in heat an' kill her an' if anybody had consumption or T. B. or somethin' lak dat an' cook her unbeknown to 'em an' let 'em eat it, dey say dat would cure 'em.
Entry 1227
Dey use dat for asmee. Boil it, de dog livah - boil it right on de stove an' give 'em de juice of it.
(That cures asthma.)
Entry 1228
A man tole me if a person is crazy or anything, yo' know, an' it's not a natch'al disease, git a dog manure. He did tell me, aftah it so many days old it turns white or yellah-lookin' - something lak dat, an' make a tea out of it an' let them drink it. An' he said that will cure them.
(Any kind of insanity? A person who is crazy?)
Yeah. He tole me tuh use that on mah mothah an' ah haven't did it yet because ah haven't been where she is.
Entry 1229
Whenevah - if yo' have a dog, watch de dog carefully an' see whenevah he has an action. Den yo' git his manure whilst it's fresh an' place it in a quart cup of water an' den yo' boil it down to a pint an' den use it wit a cloth to dab dat in good - dis out-flannen-an't [= anointment (an't) out of (out) flannel (flannen)] it used to cure de piles.
Entry 1230
Ah've heard dat dey could - dey didn't special [specify?] a black dog, but it was yo' could take de drops from a dog - yo' know, his bowel stool, an if a woman has got body trouble, anything like dat, she kin sit down on it, an a-stape [steep? steam?] herself - po' hot water on that bowel stool of that dog, an' dat'd put dat body trouble back up an' hit will nevah come back down no mo'.
(What kind of body trouble do you mean?)
Yo' know lak a woman have female trouble - yo' know her body drop down, yo' know.
(You mean her womb drops down? The inside of her drops down?)
Yes.
(That'll brace it back up?)
Yes.
(You mean in the front? You don't mean in the back?)
Front and back.
Entry 1231
I have seen people use the mess from a white dog to cure people - to cure lockjaw.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Cause, you see, my brother had lockjaw and a white dog done his business and the man told my mother to take it and put it in a cup, an old cup, and pour boiling water on it and let it stand one hour and then drain it and let it get cool, and put spirits of niter in it and his jaws will come unlocked. My mother did that. I've seen it.
(I see. Did you come from Louisiana? Were you born in New Orleans?)
I was born in Bayou [something] Parish Louisiana?
(Where?)
Bayou Lafourche, Assumption Parish. [A few miles down the Mississippi River there is a Lafourche in Lafourche Parish.]
Entry 1232
Even if yo' bald, git de milk from de dog an' bathe de part dat's bald of the cranium an' yore hair will event'lly grow back.
Entry 1233
Well, a dog now, if yo' got de yellah ja'ndice an' yo' can't be cured from doctors, yo' have to catch it - it's hard to ketch - yo' has to ketch dat dog's urinate. An' den yo' take, yo' don't let chure patient know that, but yo ketch his [dog] urinate an' yo' mix it up in his bread an' yo' let him eat that bread, an' it cures the yellah ja'ndice.
Entry 1234
An' if yo' Wanta miscarry a kid, ah know how tuh miscarry a kid - diff'rent things yo' kin take: calomel powders, an' yo' kin take nine buckshots, an' yo' kin take bluestone, an' yo' kin take pencil lead from a pencil, an' yo' kin take yore finger an' miscarry. Ah know how to do that wit that. An' if yo' ain't impregnant an' wanta git impregnant, yo' kin take devil's-shoe- string, blackroot, guinsy light[?], an' yo' kin take life ever lasting [cudweed], lowbush myrtle, redshank an' dog-tongue.
(Is dog's-tongue a weed?)
Yes suh, hit's a weed - it grows [cylinder changed]. Boil"it an' makes a tea out of it an' takes it - a wineglassful three times a day. Dat'll clear up yore system an' git all de silt an' stuff stir up, an' yo'll git impregnant like that. Den yo' kin take dog-tongue an' dry it an' put it de fo' corners of anybody's house. Now hit's good fo' medicine an' den it's good for squabbling. Yo' take dog-tongue an' put it in fo' corners of anybody's house an' crumble it up an' rub it round in de house, an' he'll be aridin' an' agrumblin' an' aguarrelin' an' afightin' dere until dey separate or dey move out or dey do something. Dey won't live together happy no mo' - jest quarrel an' grumble an' row jest long as dat dog-tongue in that house.
Entry 1235
Take de dog fennel root an' yo' kin drink de tea out of that an' yo' kin git anything out of you that a person trying tuh hurt chew - that chew got down. Or if they tryin' tuh, yo' see, do anything to yo'.
Entry 1236
Yo' evah heah of dog fennel? Well, de root of dat is good. Yo' evah heah talk of the dogwood? Well, de root of dat is good. Ah used tuh go tuh work an' git a tea - take de root an' make a tea of it, an' dat insec' or whatsomevah it 'tis dey got down in yuh, well dat'll bring it out.
(You use either the dog fennel or the dogwood tree root? Each one is good?)
Each one is good.
Entry 1237
If yo' have a fever, yo' know, take it an' put it in whiskey or brandy.
(The dogwood tree bark?)
Yessuh, de bark, yo' know whut ah'm talkin' about now. Yo' jes' skin dat bark off - de inside skin. (Any place on the tree?) At de sunrise side, but ah don't believe in dat. Anyway, an' yo' put dat in dere. It's a fine tonic. (You take that bark off the sunrise side of the dogwood tree and make a tea with it if you are running a fever. Any kind of fever?) Yes, dat's whut ah've heard.
Entry 1238
Git some de bark off it an' git about ten rusty nails.
(You go to a dogwood tree?)
Yessuh, an' boil dat together an' den git chew some heart leaves an' put in it, an' if anybody gits hurt - dat's whut ah heard. [If these are not heart-shaped (cordate) leaves, they are leaves of the heart- leaf - several American species of Asarum.]
(What do you do with that? How do you give it to them?)
Yo' give it to 'em - yo' makes a tea out of it.
(You make the tea out of this dogwood and these nails and the heart leaves?)
Yes.
Entry 1239
I had a mother, she wus poison. Somebody took her hair. The fellah that come to cure her said they put it in a bottle, a cologne bottle, put it in some runnin' water - that cause her min' wus goin'. He didn't zackly make her, you know, straight; but he told 'er whut wus ailin' her. He told er to git up every night jis' befo' mid- night, she wus livin' in de country, an' walk to the fork of the road. She do that fo' five or six night. I don't know zackly how many nights that he told 'er, but I know he told 'er go to de fork of a road. He told 'er take some dirt from under her front steps an' wear it aroun' her head as a poultice. He said that would help 'er. It helped a lot.
Entry 1240
I've heard that people will take and burn dragon's blood on the stove and it's supposed to drive all their trouble away.
Entry 1241
Well, she wus a woman, she sold whiskey an' she had a little tree whut be in her yard an' she would say a verse from de Bible to that tree an' den she would burn dragon's blood an' frankincense up undah de tree an' she'd grab de tree an' whip it an' den she jes' turn it back up. An' she'd burn that stuff right at the tree - right at the root of the tree she would burn it. Well, that wus supposed tuh keep away evil spirits an' de law or anything tuh bother her. [See margin-titles Whipping, p.388; Hitting Remedy, p.399.]
Entry 1242
Jes' take a dry piece of eelskin an' put it on yore wrist, if any pain in dere or somepin.
Entry 1243
Gits de eel[skin] an' jes' ground it up an' they mix peppah an' salt - jes' de red peppah. They git that an' grind that up with the eel and they tie that up in a sack an' they will wear it around them. (What is that supposed to do?) Keep all dere enemies away from 'em an' keep dem from bein' harmed dem- selves. [The eel makes the wearer slippery like an eel, difficult to hold.]
Entry 1244
Well, if a person kin be sufferin' with rheumatism, if he kin git a eel an' skin him an' dry the skin an' wear it - make a brace of that an' it will carry away the rheumatism.
Entry 1245
Dey takes a little alcohol an' elder root and go an' bath [not bathe] 'em, if it's [a live thing] in de laig - bath 'em right on out de laig.
[Jacksonville, Fla., (586), 752:6.] [Alder (p.411) and Elder are often confused.]
Entry 1246
My ole grandmother wus poisoned an' dey take elder [leaves] an' sulphur an' put it together [by boiling] an' [take] a feather an' an'inted her laig an' worms wus in her laig. [Wilmington, N. Car., (232), 156:3+85.] [An ointment is also made of 'elder, tobacco and lard to take out live things" - Wilmington, N. Car., (?), 234:1.]
Entry 1247
Yo' go to a fig tree an' dig yo' some roots from three diff'rent ways of de world - take some from de no'th, some east an' some south. Yo' don't want nuthin from de west - don't want nuthin tuh carry yo' down, yo' wanta build yo'self up. An' tote dem roots in yore pocket - pocket book. An' de longer yo' tote dem roots de better it will smell. Anybody will tell yo' to put Hearts Cologne on dere, but chew kin take dem fig tree roots an' long as yo' tote dem de better it will smell. Den yo' kin let chure wife or somebody else smell it an' yo' can't smell it - it's dead. [As in any hand, to let anyone touch it, smell it, even sometimes to see it - kills its power.]
(Why do you carry these roots?)
Fo' luck - protection - fo' friends.
(Would this protect me against any bad luck?)
Yes, it's good. People whut will hate yo' will come to be yore friends.
Entry 1248
(How are you going to cure this snake bite?)
Why yo' take that bark an' boil it - de bark from de fig tree, an' yo' boil dat an' yo' give that tea to the person who's bit by the snake. That'll drive de poison out.
Entry 1249
Yo' know, yo' see people has bumps all broke out in dere face. Yo' wanta [should] learn dis. Well, yo' go 'head if yo' got bumps on yore face - broke out all on yo' face jes' wit bumps - yo' know whut's a cure fo' dat?
(No.)
Go to a fig tree and git de fig leaves off dat and git de milk in de fig leaves - jes' git dat milk out dem fig leaves an' tech all over dem places and cure 'em. Dat'll cure dat.