Browse:Dead: Fingernail From (Volume 1, entries 1816–1817)
Dead: Fingernail From
Volume 1, entries 1816–1817. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1816
In gamblin' - ah used tuh heah yo' could take a dead man's fingernail - cut off a dead man's fingernail an' git to a game an' say fo' 'bout thirty minute anyway nobody couldn't tetch yo'. (What would you do with these fingernails?) Jes' take dese nails an' tie 'em up in a piece of flannel an' put a thimblespoonfula sulphur in dere wit it an' tie it up wit some black peppah. Tie it up an' tote in yore watch pocket, an' ever' now an' den yo' put chure finger in yore watch pocket, an' den come back an' put chure han' on de cards. An' yo' wouldn't be caught fo' no mo' 'bout thirty minutes. But yore mind will come to yo' an' tell yo' tuh quit, an' if yo' don't quit den, why co'se yo' goin' go ahead back tuh losin' den.
Entry 1817
De way yo' do that - yo' know dat a person is real sick, but let it be a man. Dis is anothah thing fo' joomoo, too. Well, yo' cuts dat off - lak yo' have anybody real sick, yo' go an' cut off dis one fingernail, jes' one of dem.
(Of the sick person?)
Yeah, dat yo' knows 'spectin' tuh die. An' yo' take dat fingernail an' yo' keep it until dey bury dat person. An' when dey bury dat person, yo' take dat fingernail an' jes' do lak dis, yo' know - jes' double it one time, jes' lak dat an' let de two p'ints shet good. Jes' have it lak dat an' keep dat fo' twelve days befo' yo' goin' use it. An' yo' take dat an' hit good fo' most anything. When yo' keep it, git chew a lil' bit of alcohol an' put it in dere [in the small bottle of alcohol] an' ever'time yo' go tuh gamblin', yo' jes' take a little bit an' po' it right between dem two bones [demonstrates].
(Between these two bones on the wrist; these two knobs that are on the wrist.)
Jes' drop de least bit of alcohol with dat [finger]nail in it - right between dere, jes' drop it right on dere as yo' goin' out tuh gamble. Dat's good fo' luck in gamblin'.