Browse:Worn on Body (Volume 1, entries 1616–1621)
Worn on Body
Volume 1, entries 1616–1621. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → CURE AND PROTECTION → Urine. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1616
[Urine is frequently part of a hand (see subdivision Hands) and often by itself a hand.] And if you got a backward child in school and you can't get him to go to school and can't get along with him in school, you just take some of his urine water that he urinate and wash the soles of his shoes with it and I'll betcha you won't have no trouble with him.
(He'll improve.)
And makes him go to school regular. Wash the soles of his shoes - just the sole, not the heel.
Entry 1617
Lak yo' scared someone goin' hurt chew - yo' know, if yo' got enemies. Jes' take some red peppah an' salt an' sulphur - take an' sprinkle a little bit of chamber lye ovah dat an' wear dat in yore right-footed shoe. Yo' kin walk ovah anything in de world an' nuthin will evah harm yo'.
Entry 1618
Dey say dey use red peppah, sulphur, chamber lye an' make yo' a bag an' ev'ry mawnin' befo' yo' go out yo' takes an' 'noint [feed] dat bag [a hand] good an' yo' rub it in each one of yore shoes an' dey say dat yo' kin walk ovah any- thing dat's put down fo' yo'. (You put this pepper and salt in this bag and then you anoint it with this chamber lye each morning before you go out. What do you do - just rub that bag on the inside of the bottom of your shoe?) Yessuh - in de bottom of yore shoe.
Entry 1619
If they try to harm you and you know dey Wanta harm you, you takes a ball of thread - spool of thread, put nine knots in it. Call three colored fellah - three white fellah - three any man names dat any man you call is a great liar, an' you puts knots in it. Ev'ry time you knot it, you pull de knot to you; but if you finish dat end, you fling the other end around and you pull that to you. You take dat and make yo' water on it - de night water on it yoreself for nine mornings and take it and tie it around yore waist. Nobody kin harm yuh. [Informant is one of 6 or 7 doctors interviewed in Charleston: "Tues., June 29, 1937 - Charleston, S. C.... San Mongain - (R.D.)- good - brought by [[doctor]] Glover" - Numbers Book 442-621. Several years later while checking his cylinders against the transcription, I added a comment to his number in Numbers Book,"(use with care)" - meaning some of his material was not too good.]
Entry 1620
Ah tell yo' whut chew kin do. Yo' kin stop a person from comin' where yo' is if yo' go to dere foot track. Yo' git chew some chamber lye an' yo' take some chamber lye an' yo' kin drop nine drops in dey track. Dat'll stop dem from comin' where yo' is if dey's comin' tuh kill you or do anything: Yo' turns 'em aroun' wit dat. Nine drops in each one of dey tracks when dey's walkin' dere walkin' to yore place. Yo' kin stop 'em if dey walk backwards an' forwards right at dat time if yo' know dey track. "Yo' see dere track anywhere, all yo' got'a do is drop dat in dere.
Entry 1621
They took urine and sprinkled it around the doors of any house to keep away bad luck and evil spirits.