Browse:Garlic (Volume 1, entries 1289–1295)
Garlic
Volume 1, entries 1289–1295. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → CURE AND PROTECTION. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1290
Yo' keeps garlic on yo' fo' hoodoo, keep it in yore shoe - that keeps people from hoodooin' yo'.
Entry 1291
If a person have done yo' a little wrong an' yo' have a pain or somepin about chew - see, if anybody have done yo' wrong, why yo' git garlic and beat it up with a little salt an' wear it in yore shoes, an' den it cain't take no 'ffect on yo'.
Entry 1292
If anything dey settin' down fo' yo', yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll take red pod garlic.
(Red pod garlic?)
Uh-hunh, an' yo'll thin it jis' as thin as a slice - thin slice. Yo'll take yo' nine pieces of dat garlic an' yo'll wear dat in yore right shoe with a little slim piece of parsley an' yo'll wear dat in yore shoe an' den yo'll go tuh work an' sprinkle a little steel dust in dere. Dat'll eat up every piece of every- thing yo' got down dere - dat'll pick it up. An' make lak little beads, roun' sliced thin, till yo' git enough to go roun' yore laig, an' yo' kin eithah wear it roun' yore laig or in yore shoe.
Entry 1293
If yo' wanta put a snake in anybody, yo' kin take a snake an' yo' dry him up an' they put him in whiskey aftah they dry up, an' yo' give it to 'em in their glass tuh drink. An' den it's parsley. Yo' let chure parsley set, yo' know, lak if yo' would let somethin' set. Yo' let it set about three days an' den yo' give it to whosomevah yo' wanta give it to tuh drink. An' den in three days dat dust form aigs, an' den in nine days aftah dey become a snake in yo'. Now if yo' wants tuh take dat snake out chew, yo' take garlic an' yo' take parsley an' yo' take peppah - yo' know this horseshoe peppah. Yo' evah saw dat horseshoe peppah? Dey would call it a cayenne. It's in a powder, beat up.
(It has a horseshoe on the box?)
Yeah. [That was a lucky guess!] Yo' would take that parsley an' take de garlic an' cut it up an' yo' boil it - boil all that together an' when it git cold yo' add the peppah into it, an' yo' give it to an individual tuh drink, an' den yo' make 'em pass it up. The live things will come out.
Entry 1294
Ah heard 'em talk 'bout rattlesnake. De rattles of a rattlesnake, yo' take dem an' dry 'em an' if yo' want tuh put snakes in a person, why yo' jes' take an' shake dem in de water bucket or anything dat dey drink, an' de dust from dem rattles will turn tuh rattlesnake in 'em.
(Is there any way of getting those out?)
Yes sir, wit garlic.
(How would you do that?)
Eat it.
(Just eat it and that will bring those things out?)
Yes, sir. [This simplest of remedies comes from a doctor, man.]
Entry 1295
You could use diff'rent stuff. Like if yo' go to de drug store an' tell 'im yo' want yo' some bay rum, den yo' get yo' some garlic, an' yo' get yo' some white onions. An' yo' put all dat in a can an' yo' will boil dat. An' yo' would take a bath with it, an' yo' would tote some of it into yer pocket. An' whenever yo' take de bath in dat, yo' t'row it tuh de way de sun rise. Dat'll keep 'em from doin' yo' bodily hahm [harm].