Browse:FOLK MEDICINE (Volume 4, entries 6524–7262)/Part 2
FOLK MEDICINE
Volume 4, entries 6524–7262. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 6604
Ah had a cousin once. He wus co'tin [courting a girl an' he nevah did ma'y [marry] her. An' 'er mothah fixed 'im up an' a live snake come outa his laig. But how she done it he nevah did know.
Entry 6605
Go down tuh dat Crackerjack Drug Store an' git some, some of dis rattlesnake dust. Git some of dat rattlesnake's dust an' put in dere food. No, dey ain't put it in dere food, dey jis' put a little pinch of it intuh it. An' ah'll guarantee dey have nuthin but snakes in 'em.
Entry 6606
Snakes, any kinda snakes, any kinda insex [insects], if dere somebody yo' wanta put snakes an' scorpions in an' kill 'em. Yo' kin take de snake an' kill it, any kinda snake yo' wanta be in a person. Yo' kill dis snake an' aftah yo' kill dis snake yo' name de person whosom- evah yo' wanta kill. Yo' would name 'em. An' fo' nine days yo'd go dere an' turn 'im ovah. He'd be dead. Yo' turn 'im ovah callin' de person's name fo' nine days. An' de ninth day yo' go dere an' take dat thin' an' parch 'im up, yo' know, an' jis' make a dust outa it. An' if yo' wanta put it in whiskey or amythin', or pat it in some tea or anythin' lak dat, yo' put de dust in yo' knoy vtut cheo make from dat dead snake, or scorpion or spidah or anythin', an' den yo' give it to den. It won't hurt nobody but dem dat chew called dere name. An' den when de ninth day's up dey'll take sick, an' den yo' know, dem dere snakes an' scorpions ll be livin' in dem people, whut yo' give dat dust to - in nine days tine.
Entry 6607
Yo' run 'im.
(Either the frog or the snake.)
Until he gits real hot. Yo' git chew a forked stick like dat [demonstrates] chew know. Yo' grab 'is haid while he's hot. Yo' cut dat haid off, yo' see. Yo' take it an' carry it tuh yore home, an' put intuh a chimley tuh dry tull it git so yo' kin jis' do it dataway [demonstrates] de dust of it. An' if yo' don' like a person, like ah don' like yo' an' pertend [pretend] like ah like yuh, yo' sprinkle it intuh dere food. An' dey tell me dat will certainly bring live things intuh de stomic.
Entry 6608
Well, ah heard tell of 'em usin' snakes fo' killin' peoples. Well, ah've heard tell of 'em takin' snakes - take de snake haid, cut de snake haid off whilst he's live. Make him angry an' cut 'is haid off short. Take dat snake haid - cut: 'is haid off whilst he's real short, yo' know, whilst he's live. Don't cut it off aftah 'e's daid. Cut it off whilst 'e's life [alive]. Den yo' take dat snake haid an' yo' dry it. Hang it up yore chimley dey say an' dry it fo' nine days. Den yo' kin take dat snake powdahs whut chew git from dat snake haid, an' it supposed tuh lill yo' daid. If dey kin git it intuh coffee, food, anythin' - dat snake powdah It'll be so dry till yo' kin jis' pound it up yo' know. An' den yo' take dat poudah, an' yo' kin sprinkle it in anythin' an' dat'll kill a person.
Entry 6609
Yo' take a snake an' when he git angry kill 'im. An' dey take dat snake an' hang 'im up an' let dat blood drip. An' when de blood drip, take dat blood in a bottle an', lak if any- body dat yo' don' lak, a person yo' don' lak, yo' put dat blood intuh dere whiskey. An' dat poison a person. Say dat put live snakes in some persons.
Entry 6610
(What do they do with that snake blood now?)
Dey take de snake an' kill de snake while de blood is warm, yo' know, befo' de snake git cold, yo' see. An' take de blood an' put in milk or coffee, but if dey put it in coffee it won' show up as bad, dey say. An' yo' drink it, an' dat'll have snakes in yo'. De little snakes will crawl all dhrough.
Entry 6611
Now, dey tell me tuh take a snake, cut de snake's head off, let 'im drip, an' while his blood is drippin' ketch de blood in somepin as it drips. Jis' as many drops of dat blood yo' ketch, jis' as I - if I is a enemy, jis' how many snakes yo' desire tuh be in me, an' I lie - yo' let dat blood drip - drop - fall intuh some vessel. Whut kinda whiskey I drink, why yo' po' dat whiskey drink on dis blood, an' shake it in dere wit dis whiskey. Shake it tuhgethah an' give me dis whiskey tuh drink. Very soon I'll come tuh be fulla snakes.
(You'll have little snakes in you from those drops of blood?)
Yes, dat's right.
Entry 6612
Ah heard 'em say yo' kin take an' ketch a blacksnake an' cut 'is head, yo' know, an' hang 'em up by de tail an' let dat blood drip in somepin. Put it in a bottle an' lak if yore frien's come roun', anybody come, yore frien's or prob'- ly yore enemies too, an' if yo' don' lak 'em, an' lak if yo' have a li'le coffee at dinnah or somepin lak dat, yo' put a li'le bit dat on dere cup an' dat will kill 'em instan'ly.
(What?)
De snake will kill 'em.
Entry 6613
Git a snake an' put a snake in yo'. Dey kin go ketch a snake an' kill it, cut 'is head off an' hang 'im on de limb [of a tree] by de tail. Tie a string aroun' 'is tail an' hang 'im up an' put a tin cup or tin plate undah 'im an' ketch 'is blood. Let 'im bleed in dat tin plate or tin cup, whutevah it is. Now dey take dat blood an' dey kin put dat blood intuh yore food or somepin tuh drink; or dey kin let dat blood dry until it comes jis' tuh a hard powdah. Dey kin sprinkle it in yore shoes. An' de perspiration from yore feet will such up de strength of dat blood an' cuz yore body tuh attract dat, an' it will go all through de body an' kill de body. An' it will be crawlin' jis' undah de skin, all about, mostly from de point where dey entered. Depends upon how long it is when it gits in de stomic an' come on up. An' he'll choke yo' tryin' tuh come on up.
Entry 6614
If you walk upon [meet] a snake or lizard, catch him, don't kill him, hang him up by his head with a string around his neck. Cut off the top [tip] of his tail, and put a bowl right under his tail and catch his blood, dry it. You have to catch all of this blood until he is dead. Then you take him and lay him up on a dry place and dry him. His bones and his flesh, after it gets dry, you powder it up. You take this and this blood and mix it, and they put it down for you. They'll dig a hole in front of your door and put this in that hole and call the Lord's Name: Lord, Jesus Christ, His Namesake. You fill it up, take three steps backward, and say: Now, I've got you; that will hold you, that will take you away to an unknown world. When he comes along and steps over that, he's gone. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6615
Well, yo' kin take de blood outa scorpion, eithah snake, eithah one, an' put it intuh a person's food In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' dey'll becone tuh have snakes in 'em, or scorpions in 'em. Den if yo' wan' dose outa dere, yo' git chew some salt, red peppah, sulphuh. Combine 'em tuhgethah an' let 'em take it fo' nine mawnin's In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost. An' dat soon will git 'em out.
(Get those live things out?)
Yes sir.
Entry 6616
I know of a man who used to kill snakes and bleed them. He cut them under the throat and let them bleed in a can and he would take that blood and get one drop in anyone's food and that would kill them.[Fredericksburg, Va., (67), happened years before 1936 (date of collecting) near Woodford, Caroline Co., Va.)
Entry 6617
Ketch a small snake 'live an' put 'im in some whiskey - cut 'im an' let de blood, a couple-a drops of blood drop intuh dat whiskey, an' give it tuh a person dat chew wanta have 'em. An' dere. will grow in 'em live snakes, in de person. (How do they get those snakes out?) Well, now, how dey would git de snakes out. Co'se dey would have tuh be got out by some othah person.
Entry 6618
Ketch a blacksnake an' jis' hang 'im up, cut 'is haid off an' let nine drops of blood drop in a cup. See, an' yo' put dat in whiskey an' give it tuh most anybody dat yo' think have harmed yo'. Well, dat poison, yo' see. Dat's poison den. (What will that do to them?) It would create snakes in dem. An' aftah a long while dat would kill 'em.
Entry 6619
Yo' kin take a - take a rattlesnake - yo' kin take anythin' dat wandahs in de woods snakelike - yo' take 'im an' yo' cut 'is haid off. Well, yo' put dat snake up an' let 'im be dried by de sun. Yo' take dem snake bones an' beat 'em up tuh apowdah, an' yo' put jis' a little bit of dat whiskey - alcohol, anythin' - an' yo' kin set dat bottle up, if yo' wan'a do it. Yo' set it up dere an' if yo' don' happen tuh give it tuh 'em dat day, or dat night, den mawnin' when yo' git up de snakes will be in it [bottle] - little snakes. [Snakes in the bottle next morning proves that snakes would have been in a victim, had you given the snake blood to him the day or night before.]
Entry 6620
Yo' git a snake bone an' take de shoes - yo' git de snake bone an' yo' take a person's shoe an' take dat li'le leathah piece outa it whut's in dere. An' yo' take dat li'le bone an' dry it up - yo' know, kinda make li'le powdah of it. An' yo' take de othah part, de tip-end of it, dat sharp part, an' put it down intuh de shoe an' place dat li'le cloth back ovah it. Yo' take dat powdahs an' sprinkle dat all roun' in dere. If it's yore shoe, if ah wanta kill yo' or put sompin in yo', put snakes in yo' where dey won' come out. Well, yo' see when yo' put dat shoe on, yo' goin' press yore weight ag'inst it; an' when yo' does, see, it pops up intuh yo', intuh yore heel. Well, yo' see, dat poison jis' goes right straight on up in yo'. An' aftah dat poison git up intuh yo', in about de ninth day it begin tuh make li'le snakes in yo'. It begin tuh make li'le snakes in yo'. Well, if yo' wanta git dose snakes outa yo', yo' git chew some sulphuh an' green peppah, black peppah an' mix it all tuhgethah. An' den yo' git chew dis milk of magnesia an' den yo' put dat in wit it an' mix it tuhgethah, an' jis' nine drops of spirits of turpentine. Yo' mix it all up tuhgethah an' yo' take dat fo' about eight days an' it will kill dose snakes. An' yo' go tuh de woods an' dere's one li'le sprig of stuff dat dey call dat Copras it bears one of de straight leaves an' de li'le j'ints [joints]. Dey got about four li'le white j'ints run up tuhgethah. [Does informant mean copperas, and does he think it is a plant?] Yo' take dat an' weah dat intuh yore clothes, an' dey say dat will really, surely run de snakes outa yo'. Put it all tuhgethah an' it will run dose snakes out of yo'. (You just wear this root though, you don't take either of those things - just wear it?) Yes.
(And that snakebone, can you get that any place about the snake?)
Yes, yo' kin git it from de snake, jis' any part of 'is body, jis' so it has dat li'le sharp end kind lak a pin.
Entry 6621
Yo' kin take a snake, mos' any kinda snake - ain't got'a be no special snake, mos' any kind. An' if yo' kin gi t'is aig an' break it intuh a cup of coffee or anythin' dat chew drink, an' whosomevah drink it; well, when dey drink it it'll come tuh be snakes in dere laigs. Dat's de way dat do.
Entry 6622
Ah nevah tried it but dey tell me yo' kin take a snake aig. When yo' find a snake aig, break it intuh likkah or somepin. Whutevah a man drinks or a Woman drinks, an' put dat aig in dat likkah. An' if he evah drinks dat likkah dat will cuz a live snake tuh come in 'is body. But whethah it's true or not, ah don't know.
[After I turned off recording machine, informant added lizard.]
(They do the same thing with a lizard egg?)
Yes.
human body as the alleged destination of a live snake after drinking. Retain both nonperformance and uncertainty, without upgrading either to confirmed disbelief or confirmed fact. conditional drinking as the delivery route in an untried snake-egg report. Keep never tried and whether true I do not know with the whole selected claim. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 6623
How tuh put things in a person. Say yo' wanta put a snake intuh a per- son or dese ole red-haid scorpions. Gits dose things. An' kill 'em an' git dere haids off an' den hang 'em. Put 'em on a string an' put 'em somewhere until dey jis' git perfectly dry. An' den take 'em down an' put 'em intuh somepin where dat dust can't git up yore nostrils. Put 'em in.somepin an' beat 'em up, an' den take dat dust an' put it intuh some watah or a person's food. An' let 'em eat or drink 'em an' dat'll create live things in 'em.
Entry 6624
Ah kin take a snake - yo' kin take a snake an' parch 'is haid up, an' beat 'im up an' give it tuh a person. Dat snake'll create back in a person. Take a lizard an' do de same thing. Yo' take a worm, a [wood] sawyah, powdah 'im up an' git 'im in a person, he'll create. Yo' take a roach, he'll create back in yuh.
Entry 6625
Well, yo' kin use a rattlesnake haid. Yo' kin use a rattlesnake haid, if yo' git someone tuh kill a rattlesnake an' take de haid of it, an' put 'im in de stove an' let 'im jis' stay in dere undah a hot fiah, an' let it parch up fine. An' yo' kin take dat an' put it in anybody's [water]bucket - jis' de dus' from it, yo' know. Aftah yo' take an' beat it up, pound it up good, git de dust of it an' sprinkle it in anybody's watah bucket. Ary [or] a li'le pinch of it in dey food. An' it'll kill 'em.
Entry 6626
Take a rattlesnake haid an' put it down by de fiah jist-lak an' let it bake brown. An' said dat when hit bake brown, say yo' take an' beat dat up an' give tuh a person. Put it in coffee. Make jis'-lak yo' makin' coffee an' put in dere. An' when it boil, say yo' take an' po' it out an' give it tuh 'em, an' let 'em drink it. An' say dat would poison 'em. Dey jis' - say dey die all at once. It would kill 'em finely [finally]. [A note of mine asks could this be a fact? Could the poison in a rattlesnake's head actually poison after the heating, etc?]
Entry 6627
A fellah kin take a rattlesnake, if he's a rootman an' he has a rattle- snake. Fo' or five or 'em round dere [rootman's home]. Parch it daid. An' he take dat rattlesnake an' grind up dat head jis' lak a powdah. He's [snake is] daid yo' know. [He] got 'em roun' dere [his house]. He take dat rattlesnake an' put it in anythin' tuh eat or drink, an' it will kill yo'.
Entry 6628
Take a snake an' cut 'is haid off, which is poisonous, yo' know, an' let dat haid dry up completely. An' den take it an' pound it up an' give it tuh dat individual tuh eat. Or de snake gut or anythin' like dat, an' give it tuh dat individual in dere food tuh eat. It don' hardly kill 'em, but it will cuz li'le insex [insects] tuh grow in 'em.
Entry 6629
Ketch a frog an' take a snake wit 'im an' yo' hang 'em up tuh de chim- ley. Let 'em stay until dey are, yo' know, dey are dry. Let 'em dry - snake, frogs an' lizards. Dat's what dey all puts in yo' dey tell me. Take 'em an' tie 'em up an' put 'em up in de chimley where dat smoke will dry 'em. An' den dey git tuh work an' powdah 'em up - jis' powdah 'em up soft an' fine. An' yo' takes dat - dey tell me dey take dat an' put it intuh whiskey or anythin' an' give tuh yo' tuh drink off it. An' yo'll drink it an' dey'll become live in yo'
Entry 6630
If dey want tuh kill anybody, so ah learnt - dat's how mah fathah wuz killed. Now, dey kin git a snake of any kin' yo' want. Ketch im, yo' know, 'live. An' say yo' take him an' put 'im in de stove an' bake him brown - yo' know, till he's crisp up. An' dey say yo' kin take a li'le bit of dat dust, an' dust it in watah, milk or coffee - anythin' yo' wanta dust it in. An' dey tell me it will kill a person.
Entry 6631
Ah've heard about de way people, yo' know, make live things git inyo', yo' know. Dey tell me dat ef ah kill a serpent, a snake yo' see, an' lay himout, yo' see, an' let 'im dry real dry, yo' see. An' den yo' go git 'im, yo' know, an' grind 'im up yo' see. An' it be jis' kinda lak a powdah, yo' see. An' dey tell me dat yo' could put it in whiskey. An' de person will drink it yo' see, an' dat'll make live snakes come in 'im.
Entry 6632
Ah've heard talk dat chew kin take like a snake or somepin othah like dat. Somebody dat's not 'fraid of a snake. Well, we say - wouldn't say it wus 'is blood, but say dat 'it would be like he's [his] flesh, yo' undahstan', jes' a li'le some of 'im. Jis' like he's killed an' yo' git a chance tuh put dat in 'im [enemy]. Sew dat up an' bake dat in a stove an' den powdah it. Aftah yo' bake it in de stove, powdah it up fine. An' den yo' kin put it in some whiskey or watah or wine.
Entry 6633
Dey say yo' take a snake an' kill 'im. Ah think yo' kill 'im, but any- how yo' dry him up an' make a powder outa dis snake. Well, now, if yore fond of drinkin' whiskey or coffee or anything, dat ah could git dis in fo' yo' tuh drink, why dat will bring live things in yo'. Eithah dey will use a scorpion or eithah a snake, an' dat will make dem things come in yo' 'live.
Entry 6634
Yo' kills a snake an' yo' let 'em dry. Aftah yo', yo' know, let 'im dry, den yo' parch 'im an' take dat dust. Yo' beat it up an' put it in a rag an' shake it ovah a person's sompin tuh eat, or dey food if yo' kin git a plate dressed. Dat whut we call dressin' a plate. An' when dey eat, in time an [at] times he begin gittin' sick, an' it will create live snakes in 'em an' dey grow tuh maturity till it kill 'em.
Entry 6635
Take a snake and kill him and dry him and powder him up. Put it in something you eat or drink. They claim that snake will come alive again.
Entry 6636
I've heard you go to the woods, kill a snake, dry this snake up, beat it up into a powder, and give it to a person in his eats, and in two months time a snake will form in their stomach.
Entry 6637
Ah heard 'em tell dey could git a snake, a poisonous snake, an' take kill 'im, see an' dry him. Dry him out an' dat would make a dust, yo' undah- stan'. An' take dat dust an' put it in dere shoes, an' it would kill 'em. Ah don't know how true it is, only whut ah heard. Jis' put in 'is shoes.
doubted report of harmful dust from an explicitly poisonous snake. Both Ah heard and Ah don’t know how true it is, only whut ah heard must remain visible. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 6638
[Before we begin margin title RATTLESNAKE POWDER, we must realize that snake oil was frequently used as a medication; see especially my introductory comment, to interview: 'IT'S KIND OF A MYSTERY, " p.1930. Since I have in Hoodoo almost no material about the preparation of snake oil, I am inclined to believe that the old tradition of snake oil was largely continued by local hoodoo drug stores. The following prescription for rattlesnake oil is complete except for a final page which may turn up later. The essential ingredients are here:] Now, if yo' got'a wife an' yo' wife leave yo', an' yo' can't git chew wife back; an' yo' wife leave as much as hat or a dress or a cloak in de house, yo' git dat cloak in dat hat. All right, yo' take dat hat an' yo' put jis' about a teaspoonfula sulphuh in vinegah, yo' unnahstan', an' den yo' takes whut dey call some rattlesnake oil an' sprinkle it in de hat.
(How do you get that rattlesnake oil? How do you get that?)
Dey make dat. Ah'm gona tell yo' how tuh make it directly [in a moment]. An' when [after], yo' put dat in de hat, an' den yo' put de hat back up, yo' see, an' she comin' back in maybe tuh git somepin or put on de hat, an' she can't go out dere. All right. Now give me a piece of papah an' ah'll give yo' a prescription how tuh make de oll: [I handed a piece of paper to informant and he wrote out the prescription. This sheet is missing at the moment, though I had it a few days ago. Fortunately the ingredients are written on the present transcription sheet in my handwriting: '10c oil of mint, lOc witch hazel" [[for some reason a fairly rare substance in hoodoo]], and 'lOç for 1 pound of sassafras."] [Charleston, S. Car., (512), 581:2.] [For Doctor Giles and rattlesnake oil, see No.7212, p.3208.]
Entry 6639
Now, lak people has dese li'le ole [worms] an' thin's, yo' know, be's workin' roun' in dere skin. Well, dey kin take a rattlesnake an' kill 'im an' let 'im dry up, an' take some of dat dust an' stuff an' put it in a bottle [of whiskey?]. An' let it stay fo' a while till it 'solve [dissolve] good an' let 'em drink dat. An see, dat's whut cuz dese snakes an' thin's tuh work all undah people's skin. Dat's de way dey git it in 'em.
(How do you get them out?)
Well, ah dunno [how] dey git 'em out.
Entry 6640
Dey'd dry it [a rattlesnake] an' grin' de dust up - make a dust of it. An' dat's why de oldah people didn't wan' choo tuh open lettahs an' things, becuz if it git in yo' eyes or yo' inhale it, it'd be vury injur'us. Ah think dey say it's de rattles [dust comes from the rattles].
reported drying before dust-making with qualified object/body-part attribution. The rattlesnake identification is bracketed editorial wording; Ah think dey say it’s de rattles remains the informant’s uncertainty. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 6641
An' dey could go ahead cross den an' could take a snake, ole rattle- snake, an' dey could pound dat rattlesnake up. Jis' poun' dat snake an' pound 'im up an' put it in bread fo' yo' or anythin' dat go down in yo' - yo' eat. Well, live thin's 'ill come right in yo' - snakes. Dey comes alive.
(Well, is there any way to get those out of you, that you know?)
Well yo' go to de hoodoo an' git dis root medicine an' sompin dey call rattle- snake marstah, rattlesnake marster an' - oh, it's anothah root.
Entry 6642
Dey say, jis¹ lak dey use a rattlesnake, dey use a scorpion, jis' git Dey say, jis¹ 1 de hide an' put it up [to dry]. An' yo' know, jis' lak a han'ke'chuff, sompin lak dat, lay on it an' de dust. Yo' see when dey dry it, it has dust. An' say jis' lak ah walk up tuh yo' an' hit chew in de face wit dis, cross yore nose, an' dat dust would go inside of yo'. An' dey say dat would cuz scorpions or eithah rattlesnakes tuh come on de inside of yo'. [There are a number of the handkerchief tricks in Hoodoo - with snake dust, perfume, etc.]
Entry 6643
Say, if ah wanted tuh' do sompin tuh yo', ah would git me a snake an' kill 'im an' put 'im intuh a sompin an' bake 'im, an' ah would use mah wish. Ah would take de ashes an' ah would drop it in- tuh yore meal or intuh de watah yo' drink, an ah would made de wish fo' whut ah wanted tuh happen tuh yo'. An' it would happen.
(Do you mean you would wish anything?)
Anything dat yo' wanted tuh wish. Dat's de way ah heard of it.
(Wouldn't that dust create certain things in you or what?)
[My question is leading but the live things are obvious.]
Yes sir.
Entry 6644
Yo' kin kill a rattlesnake. Yo' kin git 'is rattles an' yo' keep it till it dries, an' yo' put it in anythin' fo' a person tuh eat or drink, it will cuz young snakes tuh come in 'em. Or eithah scor- pions. Git de haid of de scorpion an' mash it up yo' know in some dust, an' put it in anythin' dey eat or drink. Why dat'll make young scorpions come in 'em. Rattlesnakes, yo git de rattZe dust.
Entry 6645
Dat's about a rattlesnake ah think. Ah heard dat chew could beat up 'is rattles intuh some kinda fine dust. An' take an' sprinkle a teeny bit of dat in sompin, see - some kind of [food] or sompin othah, an' den dey would eat a little. An' den in de long run dem people would git insurance offa dem. Dey would soon die. [Here rattle-powder is a poison rather than a creater of live snakes.]
The informant says 'a rattlesnake ah think' and 'Ah heard' in an account about rattles; the final comparison with live snakes is bracketed editorial matter.
Entry 6646
He wuz goin' wit dis girl an' ma'ied [married] de girl. Well, she goes tuh work an' gits dis rattlesnake dust. She gits 'er.some High John de Conkah an' she gits 'er some a [ofl de spittal from a daid man. (Spittal from a dead man?) Jis' gits intuh 'is mout', an' she makes a salve of dat. She takes 'er some of dis ole Vicks pneumonia salve an' makes a salve of it. When he come from work de doorknob - she have an'inted 'is doorknob an' reach ovah on 'is gate, it has one of dese li'le iron drops, latches thin's. She has dat greased wit it. Well he reached ovah an' unlatched de gate an' no- ticed he had somepin on 'is han'. He went tuh open de do' an' de doorknob wus full of it. Well he went in tuh put dat [hand] in hot watah. Dat [is] why it make it commence tuh go intuh de po's [pores]. He went in an' noticed it on 'is hands, greasy. He got some hot watah an' washed 'is face an' hands. An' aftah he had washed 'is hands, his hands commenced tuh sting an' burn, an' finely [fi- nally] it swelled up from 'is elbow down, swelled up an' he nevah got ovah it.
(Never got over it?)
His arm busted open.
Entry 6647
Yo' kin take dis Eve-an'-Adam an' burn it tuh a powdah. Co'se yo' got'a dry it out good an' den let it stay on de stove. Don't let it burn black. Git chew some of de powdah, de ashes of it an' sprinkle it on dis candle. Git chure candle warm dat chew kin kinda work it in dere-like. Git chew a li'le of dis rattlesnake, dust outa rattlesnake rattle an' mix it intuh dat, an' light chew a candle. An' dat will keep yo' sneezin' an' cough an' effect yore eyes, until yo' won't be able tuh do anythin'. Jis' burn yo' a candle right aroun' in de room. If I'd have a li'le animosity ag'inst yo', tuh keep from doin' anythin', insultin' yo' or somepin, I may light a candle. Got it dressed an' evahthin'. Yo' set chere an' inhale dat an' yo' don't know whut's happenin'. Don't know anythin'. [You] is partly out chure haid, worse'n [worse than] like someone doped chah. It's a long run 'fore yo'll git right ag'in, from inhalin' de poison from dem rattlesnake [buttons] an' from de Eve- an'-Adam, yo' know.
Entry 6648
A rattlesnake, well yo' know he has dose rattles on. Well dey carries a dust. Dere's dust in 'em. An' den yo' know a granddaddy. Well dere's dust in 'im. An' dey mixes it tuhgethah. An' dey tell me dat dey kin rub dat on yo' an' dat makes yo' paralyzed. An' dey take dat grand- daddy laigs or any part of 'is body an' dat creates live granddaddies. Dat's all ah've heard of dat. (You say they mix this dust from the rattlesnake [rattle] an' de granddaddy together?) Yes, it would simply put chure eyes out.
(How would it get into your eyes?)
Well, jis' have it on yore han'ke'chuf [for handkerchief trick, see 6642].
Entry 6649
[Similar to rattlesnake rattles we have the whole tail:] If yo' git up tuh a person an' [can] cut off dis rattlesnake's tail an' put it in some whiskey an' give it tuh someone else, in dat bottle of whiskey, an' let 'em drink dis whiskey, dat'll cuz de snake tuh be in 'em. [Let the tail soak in a bottle of whiskey, take it out, and then let someone drink the whiskey.]
Entry 6650
Yo' kin take a snake an' take de shell [shed] off a snake or anythin'. Jis' git de dust from it. An' if yo' kin git real clost [close] an' let 'im git dat snake dust in 'im- let 'im git dat snake dust in 'im tuh create a snake in 'is system. Or dat way, a woman gits a snake in 'er. [Is informant saying this dust can be given in inter- course, women being more vulnerable?]
The printed account explicitly mentions dust. Its claimed bodily effects remain reported belief; the bracketed clarifications and speculative question are editorial.
Entry 6651
Or yo' kin take a snake, a snake's shell, hull [shed] an' put it in whiskey an' dey drinks it, why dat'll make snakes grow inside of yo'.
Entry 6652
Well, dey tell me dat if a person wanta poison anothah one, jis' lak - AH RECKON DEY CALL IT WITCHCRAFT. AH DON' KNOW WHUT DEY CALL WITCHCRAFT. AH DON' KNOW EVEN WHUT DAT IS. But anyway, ah'm talkin' 'bout whut ah have heard, whut folks tell me. Say, jis' lak yo' might wanta poison a man or woman, or somebody else ah didn't lak, ah would hunt a snake, de skin offa dat snake, dey shed. Ah take dat shed an' ah would carry dat an' pound it up an' put it intuh dis an' hang dat up in de chimley where it keep warm an' hot fo' nine days. Den yo' take dat aftah yo' let it stay nine days, take it down an' yo' kin - dere'll come live thin's in it from dat shed. An' yo' take dat den an' put it in othah whiskies an' give it tuh someone an' dere come live things in 'em.
Entry 6653
Ah've seen 'em take de band whut be in a hat. Dey kin, yo' know, put dese heah snake shells [sheds], where dey fix mens blind lak dat. (Do they put the whole snake shed on there or what?) Well, they put it all de way roun' in yore hat. Or dey kin jis' take a piece where - see, when yo' sweat from de band of yore hat, well, dat will git most of dat snake shed, see an' den dat stuff will jis' run all in yore eyes, face, sompin lak dat. Git in yore eyes den an' it will blind yo'. Yo' go blind.
Entry 6654
Take a snake shed, see, most any kinda snake shed, an' beat dat snake- shed up real fine, an' puts it in a 'bacca [tobacco] sack an' go tuh mos' any man. Lak yo' go tuh a person an' yo' don' wanta [do nuthin] kill 'im - mean, he done hurt chew. Well, he take dat snakeshed an' go dere an' put it in 'is coffee, or any meal, or anythin' he kin git it in sompin tuh eat, an' name him, say, "Jim, John" - de one he name he wanta kill.
(Well, what will that snakeshed do to them?)
It'll swell yo' an' keep swellin' yo' till yo' start tuh - snakes start growin' in yo' till yo' die.
Entry 6655
Now, yo' take de blood from a animal - jis' lak if yo' got a stud now an' a person begrudge yore stud or dey wanta git tuh yo' some way 'nothah an' dey can't do it. [Begrudger] say, "Well, ah know whut ah'll do, ah'll kill dis mule." Go tuh work yo' see, an' he'll take de mule an' he'll cut jis' a place - enough on 'im, jis' about tuh git three drops of blood. Dey take dat blood den an' dey'll 中 carry it home an' dey'll take some of heah - jis' take a snake shed an' pound 'it up an' put it in dat blood. Well, aftah dey put it in dat blood, dey'll take it an' carry it tuh yore trough, yore watah trough an' put it in de trough. Well, now dat'll create any kinda germ in 'im an' he'll soon die.
(If the animal drinks this water.)
Yes sir.
Entry 6656
Whilst doin' dat, somebody gota go tuh de country an' git a he an' a she moccasin snake.
(Moccasin snake?)
Moccasin snake an' lays 'em head tuh tails, puts 'em down undah - buries 'em in de north cornah.
(North corner of what?)
Of de fence - right down undah de fence, undah a sill lak dis an' den...:
(Do they bury this under a sill or under a fence out in the yard?)
Out in de yard. It's nobody dat knows it dere but dem. It lays dere nine mawnin's an' dey'll begin to molt. Yo' go dere de nex' nine mawnin's an' turn 'em ovah, an' let 'em lay dere anothah nine mawnin's. After dat is ovah, dem nine maw- nin's, evah time dey touch 'em dey makes a oath. Dey goes dere den an' gits de snakes an' cuts de head off an' puts dem heads tuhgethah an' put 'em up ovah de do'sill an' let 'em dry - make an oath - lay 'em up there an' let 'em dry. Then they gets dry good, they crumbles them up right fine an' gets a powder - beats 'em up fine. Then they take 'em an' put 'em in a bag. Well, enybody they want, they go an' gets de dust of de snake head an' sprinkle it in whatever they gives 'em - they gives a party of some kind, an' they wants to go tuh, they gives it to 'em in somethin' to drink.
(What will that do to them then?)
Kill'em. [Richmond, Va., (?), 380:2. A similar method for killing with graveyard dirt is given by same informant in 300: l&3.]
Entry 6657
[In the following statement, as well as elsewhere in the text, the old belief about live things in you has been watered down to knots and things that look alive under the skin.] If yo' wanta damage anyone wit de snake, yo' kin kill de snake, pound it up an' put it in whiskey an' give it tuh someone. It will cause dem tuh go crazy, an' [have] knots look lak dey's 'live undah dere skin - knots lak dat, an' thin's lak lizards.
Entry 6658
Ah had a aunt. A man got 'er hair. See, he got mad becuz she wouldn't marry 'im. Well, he took a piece of hair from 'er mole [mold] while she wuz layin' down on 'er bed fast asleep. All right, took a piece undah 'er arm. (Both arms or one?) De lef'. An' den took a piece some- where else - down below. Dey took it tuh a new elm tree [at Algiers?].
(They took it to a new elm tree or to New Orleans?)
Yes, all right. Well, de only way, if dey didn't know nuthin 'bout it, it would liable been too late. Well, aftah dey [the man] went tuh someone in] Al- giers, dey had it fixed. Dey also had some glass, some kinda black glass [prob- ably broken from a black bottle]. Dat means fo' tuh kill 'er. An' it would have killed 'er, see, but she wuz saved by St. Anthony. Well, now, he came back [from Algiers or New Orleans] an' she begged an' begged an' cried. He told 'er dat he would not hurt 'er, see. She wus moanin' [molting?] an' moanin' [molting] away an' de only way wuz to git dat hair an' dat thin' back - dat wuz de only [way]. Well, all right. Aftah he done it, he wouldn't give her up. Well, twixt 'em, dey went out dere, way ovah de trees [in the woods] somewheres, an' got some root. A man wuz sellin' some kinda roots. He died [he is dead now]. Well, he got some root in a hurry an' made a poultice. He had some of 'er othah thin's, piece of 'er ministratin'. An' dis man got some kinda calomel [surely calamus] root. De drug stores got it [calomel], but any drug store don't got [calamus] becuz dey wouldn't know whut it is. Got some of dat an' made a tea. An' got some dog dirt, [also] yellah clay, cleah yellah clay, an' beat it up. She hadda take it though. Took it [dog dirt and yellow clay]. An' den got some new - bran'-new cloth an' bind 'er all arou', see. When he bind all aroun' 'er, well it somepin came outa 'er - through 'er bowels. Dey were kinda lak a rattlesnake - jet black. Dey had 'er fixed dataway in New Orleans-Algiers. [Algiers is a Ovah de mivah part of New Orleans.] But she pulled through an' de man came back. See, didn't know she would pull through. Aftah dat she lived ten years.
(What was the name of this doctor out here that is dead now?)
[A name informant couldn't pronounce or spell.]
Entry 6659
Ah heard dat yo' could take de hair an' take it an' put it in - jis' urap it up or tie it up in a cloth or somepin an' weah it on yo' some place. Weah it on de firs' piece yo' weah [wear next to skin] an' dey say dat will cuz yo' tuh come back tuh 'em. An' den ag'in yo' could take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up. An' put it in runnin' watah an' den it would turn tuh a snake. An' when it turn tuh a snake it would kill yo'.
Entry 6660
Sleepin' on a feathah mattress. Yo' kin take snake eggs an' put 'em in a chicken - [I mean] in a mattress where de feathahs is, yo' undahstan'. An' dem feathahs goin' birth dem eggs. Yo' undahstan'. See, dey got li'le bits of eggs an' dey'll birth dem eggs. An dem feathahs birth dem eggs. An' long as dem - aftah dem eggs hatched, dem snakes'll be in dere, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' sleep on dere an' it'll dry yo' up, jis' lak if yo' had consumption. An' yore lungs will be jis'as solid as dey is right now. [Solid lungs right now I do not understand.]
Entry 6661
Yo' kin have a live snake in ahm [arm] or chicken feathahs, but how dey put dat in yeh is by a dus'. Dey give dat tuh yo' in somepin tuh drink, an' den by 'umanation [incubation]. It breeds in yore skin.
Entry 6662
(He [my contact man] said that you told him a story.)
Yes. Well, now, heah's de story ah wanta tell yo' - sech as whut dey tell me an' whut ah learned, SECH AS WITCHCRAFT. Well, now, de story ah got tuh tell is sech a thing as spidahs. Yo' know whut ah'm talkin' 'bout, web spidahs yo' seen [not a fryingpan on legs called a spider]. Well, yo' kin take it an' take it tuh de fiah yo' know an' hold it. Tie a string tuh it, he can't crawl away, or put it in de stove yo' might say, in dere alive an' let it bake. [Here is the frequent rite of suffering before death.l An' aftah it git baked, den crush it up. Take dat an' crush it up intuh somepin an' put it in de whiskey. Yo' undahstan'. An' den yo' - ah'm yore enemy, yo' see. Well, aftah yo' taken an' do dat an' yo' kin git me tuh drink dat whiskey, well dere ah go, right dere. Dem spider gits in me an' create, an' dey gits an' eats mah insides out, yo' see. Dat's known tuh be de fact. Fo' me, ah hasn't tried tuh work it on no one. Anothah one, ag'in. Yo' kin take up dese qround dog whut chew fish wit. Some folks call 'em ground dogs, some folks call 'em ground puppies [the changa, or hellbender, a salamander, described elsewhere], see. Yo' take dat an' yo' kin crisp it up in a stove or sompin othah, an' yo' kin put it - grind it up intuh poudah, aftah yo' crisp it up. Jis' lak a locust, yo' see. Yo' kin take it an' grind it up an' yo' kin jes' put it - bury hit right at yore do'step. See, an' po' yo' about a mouthfulla whiskey on 'it, see. An' attah [after] yo' puttin' de mouthfulla whiskey on it, de nex' mawnin' yo'll wake up dere, yo'll find a thousand of 'em - young-uns. Dat's done, yo' know, it's done increase dat much. Jis' one, de one yo' take an' killed an' crisp it up, an' dig a hole an' bury it in, an' po' some whiskey on, put it down at yore do'step, an' de nex' mawnin' when yo' wake up an' go dere an' dig up undah dere, dey say dere'll be 'bout a han'fulla dem - de young-uns. Done create. Done create dat much.
(What do you do that for?)
Well, dat shows dat yo' might - yo' kin put it in me de same way. Dat jis' shoWS, yo' undahstan', JIS' SHOWS, PROVE OUT WHUT DESE THIN'S KIN DO. DEAD THIN'S DAT COME TUH LIFE.
Entry 6663
They kin take a spider an' they kin kill yo' with that. Well, they give it to yo' in lickrish [sometimes licorice, here liquid]. They put it in water or let him soak in there and die, or they put it in urine or whiskey, or they put it in food. An' that'll kill yeh, a spider will.
Entry 6664
Take a spidah, if yo' put it in somepin fo' a person. Dat, it will kill 'em, if he's 'live, yo' know, when yo' put 'im in dere. If dey drink it, it will kill dem from de spider.
Entry 6665
Mah aunt wus fixed wit a black spidah. Dey taken an' mashed dis spidah up an' give her in whiskey tuh drink. An' it swelled 'er foot, an' befo' we could git tuh do anythin' fo' her she died.
Entry 6666
Ah hear'd 'em say if dey wan' choo crawlin' up de side a house an' so aktin' [acting] jis' lak a spidah would ak [act], tuh have a spidah web an' have dem a spidah, an' take off 'is laigs an' put it in somepin, jis' lak some whiskey or ewer [either] somepin tuh eat, tuh have it on de inside of yeh. An' say, aftah dat's on de inside of yuh fo' sich a length of time, say den yeh'll start tuh aktin' funny in de way dat a spidah will ak. Say yo'd be crawlin' up, tryin' tuh crawl upon de wall, come down, gits on de flo', yah crawl fo'wards, come back. Say when dat stuff wus in yeh it's poison tuh yer system. An' dey say yo'd ak from dat time on until yo' die.
Entry 6667
Take a spidah fo' n'instance an' put 'im in yore pot an' cook 'im in yore pot. Jis' cook 'im in a quart of watah, let it cook an' cook an' cook until he come tuh pieces. An' den yo' take dat dere spidah an' yo'll see nuthin but jis' li'le teensy pieces on de bottom of de pot; where he done cooked tuh pieces yo' know, jis' about lak de end of mah fingah- nails, jis' about - about so [demonstrates]. Well, yo' take dat an' yo' set it aside till it git good an' cool. An' when it git good an' cool - until it's very cool - den yo' take dat dere. Take yo' a teaspoon an' yo' skim all de way roun'. Skim de top an' gft de top all de way roun', off de top where yo' boiled dat spidah intuh a quart of watah. Yo' skim de top an' den yo' take dat watah an' yo' po' dat watah off. Yo' take dat watah an' yo' put it in a jah [jar], see. Well, yo' take dat spidah watah dat yo' got already new an' put it in drinks, diff'ren' things.
(What will that do to them then?)
DAT'LL MAKE 'EM CRAWL, GIT ON DERE KNEES AN' CRAWL. HAVE FITS. HAVE ALL KINDS OF FITS. BE "FITTY" OFF AN' ON.
Entry 6668
A gentleman down town, he's dead now. There Wus a girl frien' of mine fixed, she had a thousand legs in 'er feet. Well, it wus some root medicine. He fixed 'er wit it. Ah don' know whut root it wus he used fo' de liquid medi- cine, but he give her dat medicine.
Entry 6669
[The best terrapin story in Hoodoo, a remarkable one, will be found in No.10, p.7.1 Yo' kin ketch a terrapin, dese streaked-laig terrapin. Dey tell me yo' kin ketch dose an' sech as gophahs lak dat. [Gopher along the coast of the southern states of U. S. A., is a burrowing land tortise Gopherus polyphemus.] Dey tell me dat it ain't but one way dat a person kin git dose live in yo'. Say dey'll take dem an' kill dem an' put dem out in de sun an' let 'em dry fo' so many days. Den take it an' pound it up an' put it in stuff fo' yo' tuh drink. Dey say when it mix in yore blood it'll commence tuh create dese live things.
Entry 6670
Ag'in dere was a woman dat had frogs put into her - not frogs but turtles. She was about to become de birth of a child. Dere was a ole wo- man dat lived next door to 'er an' by 'er being in that condition she Was quite disagreeable. And dis ole woman was supposed to be a hoodoo woman an' SHE WISHES THAT THE CHILD SHE WOULD HAVE WOULD TURN TO A FROG; BUT INSTEAD OF THE CHILD TURNING TO A FROG, DIS WMAN HAD DE CHILD AND THEN HAD THIS TURTLE AFTER. that's a fact because there was thousands of people went there to see it. It happened down in Louisiana, down in St. Bernard's Parish. Dat's where dat hap- pened. [Doctor Sims (see later), good as he was, surely misses the point here. The hoodoo woman did not fail. She changed the twin, the second child, into a turtle! If this story is true, someone had a quick hand.]
Entry 6671
(Tell me that story all the way from the beginning, make a parable of it. What are you going to do now with this turtle?) [That word parable I picked up at the beginning of my field work down the east coast. I found it everywhere, but sus- pected it was dying out. You can see how I qualified Tell me that story to make a parable of it. The words story and tale have a bad connotation in my type of field work.1 Well, ah go back ovah it ag'in. Yo' take an' yo' kill it an' yo' let 'im dry. Den yo' take an' soak it in whiskey - see, yo' gittin' 'is nature. Den yo' give it tuh me tuh drink.
Entry 6672
De way dat's done in de time dat it's matin'-time wit de terrapins. An' if yo' git it dat pahtic'lah time, yo' git a chance tuh git a terrapin an cook dat terrapin. An' take dat ter- rapin an' wheresomevah, jis' lak a woman, if she wanta hurt somebody - lak she wanta hurt anothah woman, sompin lak dat, see. At dat pahtic'lah time [mating-time] she kin take dat terrapin an' cook 'im, boil 'im good. An' befo' she boil 'im, she kin take 'im an' take some of de blood of dat terrapin, an' mix it wit some wine, some strong wine. An' give it tuh dis othah individual tuh drink in de wine, if she's a drinkah, yo' see. She kin be doped in dat. An' when she drink dat juice out dat terrapin in matin'-time wit dat wine - now when time come de terrapin aigs oughta be hatchin', well dat terrapin goin' from in dat individual. (That will form in them and kill them. That is, if some woman wants to get rid of another woman.) Dat's right.
Entry 6673
(A turtle. What do they do with a turtle?)
Well, ah see a person take a turtle aig. Take a turtle aig an' break it raw an' put alcohol on it, an' yo' save it. (You save it?) Yo' put it aside. But ah think a fellah mean an'( dirty enough tuh take dat few drops of al- cohol off dat turtle egg. An' yo' put it in some whiskey or somepin an' give somebody dat tuh drink. It will kill 'em right away. Dat's de way yo' kill people dataway.
Entry 6674
Ah tell yo', if yo' kin git a little of de watah or de spit from de terrapin - if yo' kin git de watah or eithah de spit from de terrapin, an' yo' kin use it in a person. Yo' kin put it in dere watah, anywhere yo' kin put it tuh git it in 'em. It will run 'em wild jis' lak a terrapin.
Entry 6675
Now a terrapin is a thing, he crawls late at night, an' he crawls at certain times of de day an' he go tuh sleep. Now, dat terrapin yo' wanta wakes 'im at night. Dat terrapin will crawl out de day, an' if chew wanta git dat terrapin tuh hurt chew at night, dey'll capsize 'im from 'is den. Dey'll grab 'im an' dey may cut off 'is right laig an' call yore name. An' dey carries it tuh dey house, bury dat [leg] an' dey'll turn dat ter- rapin loose live. An' quick as dat swell up, where he cut off dat laig, dat right foot - quick as dat swell up, why yo' is a sick man. (That is one way, they use it. What about the other way?)
Entry 6676
She [a woman living in Wilmington] has been hurt fo' 'bout twelve yeahs an' right now ven [when] de moon is young dey's [there is] somepin lak a coottah [= cooter, any of sev- eral turtles or tortoisesl, she calls it, somepin lak dese ali- gatah coottahs. She say it spluttahs [splutter = sputter or spatter from here- demonstrates on her side] an' goes up nex' tuh 'er heart, an' goes back down. An' she says ven it spluttahs lak dat, she kin heah it spluttahin' in watah [water], jis' lak if it runs up an' she cud [could] feel de li'le feets of it, yuh know, ven it's open-lak, lak it's scrattin' [scratching?]. It goes up from 'er right side crossways [right to left] up through 'er laig. [Does this symp- tom signify anything in scientific medicine? In any case, we have here again one of those psychology-and-time rites, see Pp.350-356, v.1.]
Entry 6677
See, de othah night ah had a young lady. Her an' 'er husban' went out tuh a dance, a party, all well an' hearty, but dere wus anothah girl dere got de [these] two in company wit dis - both in love wit de same boy. One slips a dose intuh de othah one. Now, how she did dat - she had wasps an' ants in 'er. Yo' take de wasps an' yo' set 'em in a tin cup an' yo' set 'em on de fire, stove or somewhere in de oven alive. Yo' fasten 'em up in dere an' let 'em stay in dere until dey are cooked, burn up, so dat yo' kin take 'em jis' like cigah ashes an' jis' crumble 'em up-like - jis' like dose ashes dere [in my cigar tray on interviewing table]. Well yo' kin take dose ashes den. Take de ants likewise if yo' want tuh. Or yo' kin jis' use one [wasp or ant]. An' jis' make a powdah outa dem. An' den yo' jis' [put] a li'le in a piece of papah, han'ke'chuf or anything an' take it on wit yo'. Well, yo' might ask fer a glass of watah, an' dey will be sellin' ice cream, cake, beer an' one thing anothah. Dey all settin' aroun' dere an' yo' slip aroun' an' yo' have yore glass settin', settin' dere talkin'. Yo' may done drink some outa it. Somebody stand- in' up behind yo', an' yo' don' pay no attention, or may walk by - may be standin' roun' dis side of de table. Somebody walk up behin' joo an' begin talkin' tuhyo' an' yo'll turn yore head an' dey reach across an' jis' drop jis' a pinch in it. Well, no soonah it hits, in de co'se of a second or five seconds, it's all vapor- ated an' yo' can't tell it from - it's all de same color yo' know, dere is no way of seein' it. Well, now yo' drink dat. DIS GIRL SHE HAD DOSE THINGS IN 'ER, AN' SHE COME TUH ME. DEY BROUGHT 'ER TUH ME FIVE 'CLOCK DAT MAWNIN'. HAD GONE INTUH FITS, HER HANDS TIED BEHIND 'ER, AN' A STICK ACROSS 'ER MOUTH. An' dat's hOW she got it. She got hers in ice cream.
Entry 6678
Yo' see dese ole waspses. An' yo' kin take a wasp when he's got young uns [ones], a wasp nest. Yo' know whut de wasp nest is. Yo' kin take a wasp nest when it's got young uns in it, an' each li'le hole is got a covah ovah de top of it dat look lak a stem. Well, now, yo' take dem an' boil dat an' strain an' put it in a bottle. All right, now, say yo' mah boss. Yo' says, "John?" Ah says, "Suh?" Says, "See dat fellah ovah dere?" Say, "Yes." Say, "Ah want chew tuh fix 'im." Say, "All right." Says, "He drinks?" Say, "Yeah." Well, ah'll go ovah dere an' git 'quainted wit 'im, 'Let's have sompin tuh drink." "All right." Ah go back dere, wanta git a bottle. All right. Well, ah'll go an' git a bottle of anythin' dat he drinks an' ah open it at de countah an' po' mine outa it an' drink mine. An' den ah po' some of dis in dere. See, ah po' some of dose wasps' juice in dere on it. An' den [they] begin tuh form waspses in 'is intestines.
(Is there any way of getting them out?)
Yes, de doctah operate on yo'. Dat's de onliest way yo' kin git 'em out.
Entry 6679
Ah know a girl dat wuz caught in some whiskey somehow or 'nothah. She ruz a frien' girl of mine, she stayed down heah. She wuz goin' wit a woman's husban' an' she [wife] didn't wan' 'im tuh go wit 'er. An' she [friend] drunk a lotta whiskey. An' so dis woman [wife], de way dis woman did tuh git dis snake in 'er - it wuz a li'le bit of snake jis' about lak a fishin' worm, an' she wuz poisoned wit it. She got dis snake inside a [of] dis girl. So dis girl commence tuh fallin' off. She commenced tuh gittin' po' an' it look lak dis snake would come right up tuh 'er [throat], come chokin' 'er or somepin lak dat. She couldn't eat nuthin; she pouldn't have no appetite or nuthin. So dey cared [carried] 'er tuh doctors an' de doctors couldn't do anythin' tuh [for] her. An' ah tole 'er, ah says, "Why don't chew go tuh dis root doctah in Orangeburg [S. Car.]? Prob'ly be might know whut tuh do." She said, "All right, ah'll go. Ah'll git mah mothah tuh take me." SHE HAD DONE FELL OFF TILL SHE WEIGHED ABOUT 80 OR 90 POUNDS - JES' NUTHIN BUT SHITCH. So she [mother] said, "Could ah [you] git someone tuh take mah daughtah up dere?" [She] said, "Ah'll pay yo' fo' gittin' 'im an' den ah'll pay 'im. Cos' dat's de only chile ah got an' ah'm crazy 'bout 'er an' ah jis' didn't want nuthin tuh happen tuh 'er." ". [She] say, "Ah believe [they] done somepin tuh 'er." So, well, we went attah [after] dis man, went on up dere. Dis man [owner?] said anybody could come in de house dat wan' tuh. So we went on in dis house an' dis man [doctor] wuz up dere [upstairs?]. He [doctor] tole us - de firs' thin' we set down. He went in dere an' he fixed up a hot - some hot boilin' watah, jis as hot as she [patient] could [stand it]. Said, "Pull down 'er [your] dress an' set ovah it." He said, "Yo' sit down on it." An' she set down on dis chambah of watah. An' he said, "Jis' set right dere till ah call yo'." An' he gone in de front. An' dis girl set down on dis chambah of hot steamin' watah, an' it wuz somepin she had in dis watah - she set on dis chambah of steamin' watah, she stayed in dere fo' fifteen or twenty minutes. An' he tole 'er. said, "Now. when yo' git up off dis watah, dere's goin' be a snake in dis chambah of watah." Says, "Don' be scared, don' git frightened."
Entry 6680
Yo' kin take nine new needles an' nine new pins an' nails - nine nails - an' put in a bottle. An' den yo' kin take one dese heah worm outa from undah de bottom [bark] see, think dey call 'em sawyah.
(Wood Sawyer?)
Yes sir. Dey got two little bills [horns] whut cuts in de wood. [These worms - the larvae of sawyers, several large longicorn bettles - bore large holes in timber or dead trees. Both worm and bettle are often called wood sawyers.] Put dat in dat bottle an' bury it down in de path where he walks. An' den, when he walk ovah dat, he'll ketch 'em in 'is foot. An' dat same worm [larva] whut chew see in dat bo'd, dat yo' put in dat bottle, jis' true as [what?]. [It will enter 'im an'] eat 'im up. [But this ailment can be cured.] Dat way [if you are in that condition] yo' got'a go tuh a root doctah de same way [as before]. Now a root doctor, he got'a take 'em out. A medical doctor don't do it.
(What would a root doctor do to get that worm out of him, I wonder.)
He goes an' git de root from de - dey call black haw an' red oak bark an' a stingin' nettle root. Put dat up in a bottle an' yo' got'a take. Dat stingin' nettle root, will run 'im out dere. [The other two help and also make 3 ingre- dients.]
(Well, what do you do with these roots? Make a tea of them or what?)
Yes.
Entry 6681
Yo' kin take a drop of frog blood, an' a drop of snake blood, an' a drop of dese here wood sawyahs. He's in dis ole rotten wood, wit a flat haid. (He's in the wood, sort of a worm. What color is the worm?) White, with a flat haid. Take dat blood an' put it on a sandwich an' give it tuh anybody; an' if dey eat dat, dose things will grow in 'em. (They take these drops from each one of these three things and put it on the sandwich, separately or what?) No, put 'em on dere tuhgethah.
Entry 6682
I have a cousin and someone put something in the boots he wore, an' in going home he couldn't get back sometimes without crawling back home. His leg got sore, and after it got sore he was taken down to his bed. And before he died worms came out of his leg, that big, as round as my little finger, and tvo inches long with black heads. They carried hin to a woman and the woman said this was put in the boots he wore. They were like maggots but they were bigger tham that.
Entry 6683
[This fortuneteller woman or healer] tole me dat somebody, a woman had taken mah sistah's hat an' dressed it, dressed it up fo' her, an' she suffabed Wit headaches. She tole us whut she done wit dese earthworms - yo' know, dese fishing worns about dis big [demonstrates]. Take dem fishin' worms an' parch 'em up. An' so dat dust wus sprinkled aroun' in mah sistah's hat, an' as she wore it, well, de perspiration got tuh it an' drive it on tuh 'er brain. An' SHE WENT JIS' AS CRAZY AS ANY FOOL IN DE WORLD. But aftah while We got 'er back again.