Browse:Forward to Sunrise (Volume 1, entries 979)
Forward to Sunrise
Volume 1, entries 979. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → FOLK MEDICINE (1) PRINCIPLES OF HEALING. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 979
I've been hurt once by a woman. Well, I wus poisoned in good fashion. I liked to died. I had Doctor A., a medical doctor and his medicine went against me, it didn't do me no good. And the erbs dat I kep' home, which I keep some now, you boil them and then taken some and put on the whiskey in the bottle. I jis' plumb blind, jis' broke out all the way. And that's whut got me on my foot. And I, see, I keep that tea.
(What else did you do?)
Jis' roots and teas: silk root, blacksnake root, and devil-shoestring root. You see, the first time you take de silk root, and you cut it inch long and you steep dat in overnighti water [water overnight] and put a cover over it. Well, it's bittah and you'll throw up everything in you. De stuff come out of you green as you ever seen, as green as grass you ever seen. De devil-shoestring and the blacksnake root you steep dem togethah and you drink that. Den when I got so I could walk I goes in the Woods, take my hatchet, I gits some cherry bark, red oak bark and dogwood root; and bathed [with] that - make a wash of this water you know and use it to wash with. And bathe right down, bathing that for nine morning: And den when you git ready to throw it away, you throw it to sunrise. ["This little fellow sold hands - a cripple" - note made when I did original transcription soon after collecting statement; happened in Wilmington, 1912, but remedy came from Scotch Hill,12 miles from Wilmington on the Newbern Road.]