Browse:Needle (Volume 1, entries 1395–1401)
Needle
Volume 1, entries 1395–1401. 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 1395
(What do they do with the needles?)
They string 'em all on a thread an' drop 'em down between de breast tuh dry milk in de breast fo' a baby.
(They just let them hang on the breast?) Yes.
Entry 1396
Wal, yo' jest git yo'self a brand-new goldeye needle and stick it in a stopper - cork - and yo' wear it aroun' yore neck. Let it go right heah below de heart. An' yo' wear it around yore neck an' nuthin dey do, as long as dat needle is on yo' - tain't nuthin dey do kin harm yo'.
Entry 1397
You gets their name. After you gets their name, take a needle, and take that needle and you cross it like this and after you cross it like that, you take it and you put in a piece of paper - brown paper, mind you - and you write their names on there five times. And after you write the names five times, you turn thisaway and you take it [demonstrates].
(This way - they wrap it to you?)
Wrap it to you - don't wrap it from you - wrap it to you and then you takes that and you wear in your pocket - in your pocketbook and keep it on you and anybody can't do you nothing.
(You take one needle, did you say?)
Two needles, and cross them like this.
(Ohl two needles, I see, you just cross them in that piece of paper?)
Cross 'em in there and turn 'em thisaway.
Entry 1398
Put nine needles an' a toothpick in a bottle, an' pbur Hearts Perfrone on it an' stop it up real tight, an' keep dat roun' yer bed all de time to keep peoples away from you from harmin' you.
Entry 1399
They say you take nine needles and put 'em in a bottle of turpentine and you can wear it or either put it down under your bed and nobody won't hurt you.
Entry 1400
Maybe yo' got a catarak in yore eye, or maybe yo' have dose little ole bumps chew know dat come on dere an' nearly put chure eye out. Yo' git nine cambric needles an' stick 'em all up togethah - yo' know, a little bunch, ovah de do' an' den yo' walk, pass in an' out de do' fo' nine times - keep count, for nine days yo' know. Den yo' kin take em down - yo' kin throw 'em away - yo' kin see. So you don't sew with 'em [again].
Entry 1401
You use four goldeye needles around the house - put one in each corner on the side of the house on the outside. It's against the one [intending evil] outside, an' they can't interfere [with] you at all. Nobody kin do anything to you.