Kay Smith interview with Lottie Copeland, Eddie Scott, Mrs. Eddie Scott, and Vera Swanson

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This recording contains interviews with Black residents of Pine Mountain, Georgia, who discuss home remedies for illness, injuries, childbirth, and skin lesions. First Eddie Scott and his wife describe cold remedies, including using kerosene, rabbit tobacco, pine tops, mullen, bonsend, scurry grass, and flannel to either brew tea or make a serum to rub on your chest. Next at 3:07 they share superstitions about childbirth and pregnancy, and Mrs. Scott talks about her children. Then Eddie Scott discusses drinking hog hoof tea to cure heart fluttering, and Mrs. Scott shares a flu remedy. At 9:05 Mrs. Smith discloses her negative feelings about doctors and modern medicine, and tells a story about her sister-in-law going to the hospital. Next she describes how to break a fever using turpentine and how to cure a headache, then tells a story about a rattlesnake. At 27:27 they discuss the benefits of children drinking ginger tea to break out into hives. At the end of their interview, they talk about where their families are from and Eddie Scotts work as deacon at Bethany Baptist Church, followed by Kay Smith singing about Moses. At 38:18 Vera Swanson details home remedies, starting with a tuberculosis test for infants, cow manure tea for colds, and an at-home cure for tuberculosis made out of beehive, ashes, whiskey, and sassafras tea. Next at 44:06 she explains that she disapproves of doctors because she believes they make people more ill. She then details a remedy of peach leaves, poplar leaves, butterfly root, and samsnake root to reduce fever, and another for burns, chills, and infant hives. At 54:44 Swanson explains how to soothe teething infants, and she recalls an encounter with a midwife in Birmingham, Alabama. Then, she shares a tea recipe used to prevent pregnancy, she explains that she disapproves of the birth control pills for religious reasons, and remedies for kidney issues and vaginal infections. At 1:04:00 she tells a story about her aunt using coffee to relieve diarrhea, talks about the benefits of eating clay and cod oil, and shares cold, ear ache, stomach, and sore throat remedies. There is a break in the audio from 1:21:00 until 1:22:40, after which Swanson sings about God and talks about her children. Then she discloses the benefits of using catnip to relieve convulsions, epeleptic episodes, and vertigo. At 1:42:17 she shares postpartum advice and her belief that mothers should breastfeed because formula deprives infants of vital nutrients. Then she explains why women shouldnt bathe during a menstrual cycle. At 2:03:10 Swanson details how to use mistletoe in hair care products. Next, she tells a story about a woman known for stopping miscarriages. At 2:11:40, Swanson agrees with John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, that people should have as many children as God provides them with. Specifically, Swanson says that birth control pills disrupt Gods plan to bear children. To conclude her section of the interview, she describes how to remove warts. At 2:16:24 Kay Smith clarifies the different interview sections and identifies the interviewees. Then at 2:16:50, Lottie Copeland recalls her childhood in Pine Mountain where her family worked as cotton sharecroppers. At 2:19:45 she describes home remedies for colds, ways to relieve asthma, and a folk remedy to remove warts by reciting a rhyme at a fork in the road. Next she expresses her opinion that people are losing their faith in God because they are using fewer home remedies.. Copeland tells a story at 2:30:10 about a teacher who disapproved of her hair style. Last, she shares wedding superstitions and what life was like for her family during slavery and after emacipation. Kay Smith (1949- ) was born in Cherokee County, Georgia, to Robert Smith (1917-1975) and Ruth Smith (1920-1970). She graduated from Cherokee High School and later Georgia State University. James Edward Eddie Scott (1915-2004) was born in Pine Mountain, Georgia, to William R. Scott Jr. (1891- ?) and Mildred Mamie Lee Jenkins (1894-1929). Scott married a woman (approximately 1915-?) born in Bethlehem, Georgia, and they had at least two children. He served in the United States Armed forces during World War II and the Korean War, and as a deacon at Bethany Baptist Church in Pine Mountain. Scott is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Lottie Copeland (1896-1975) was born and lived in Pine Mountain, Georgia, where her family moved after emancipation. Copeland was a member of the Bethany Baptist Church. Lula Vera Swanson (1899-1982) was born in Luthersville, Georgia. In 1913 she married Paul Swanson (1895-1944), and they had nine children. She later moved to Pine Mountain, Georgia, but returned to Luthersville before her death. Additional biographical information has not been determined. Tho dat~J, gnthnrod fOl' th:it) parK)):' on home romedies (lHWn J'l'om P:'LYlO Jl-ionntain t Goot'gia fo:rrnerly e,'111od Ch:l.poly IJ The Black Connrnmites I ,",rked in~13aptist lUll, Nethodist Hill, Frog Pond, Pearl Harbox', Chinaberl'Y and White' sAlley." lio on Lhe outskirts of tm'!n" 'fheso comrnunities hHve beon settlod in t~hc lei st t,hJl"Ly Yo8.rs Hhon thore H,'l S u mip;r,'-l.ti. on from the f;Jrrr]6 ~Il'. and 1111's. Scott li.ve in Ch:tnabeY'ry. SHtm'day must be the (lHy Cor "sunning"'1 As I dl'ove up to the:iI\ house I not:i.eod thnt ovory bllsh surrounding tho house was covered by' quilts nIl of Hhich she hf-l,d nJad.e~ I~tt:'0 Hnd .["11'0'3 .. Scot-:.t Hro in thFWC slxti(-3S <I l,ike evm:'yono elso in this 8.}'0;1 they used to farm for a li.ving. Ho is a deacon Ht The Betha.ny lhpt:i.st Church. rrhex'o seoms to be ::1 relationship bet1'leen fnith Hnd obodience to God and homo l'omodies <I It seems that Hhen you 'Lut'n tlv-my from home remodies and [rtHl"t e;oing to the doctor 'l.'lith (0VOl'y liUlo thing, you hl1vo forgotton that .J'"SUS :is '~he hoaler of Uw siek.. Tlhis theme is l'epoated :in AIl of my interV:lHHs .. t1ra. Lett:i.e Copeland :in J3A.ptist hiD is getting close to ninety. Sho lives 111one on a small piece of proporty that her sister go..ve her. As is typienJ of the other tHO infcH'Hll:lnts, l\'!l:'so Lettie knov-ls nothing of Hhere her folks 1:l0rO frolJlo 5ho CHn remomber, thought he:c grandmother talking about oOl'n"ing to Pino l'IOlmtwi n "ith tho Keyes family ".ft.er the Civil War . ji,rs. Copoland is a very graoi ous and ,Jesus loving l".dy. What sho hHS to s'w Dbout her lifo :is: flI had a hard time but tJesns seen me thl'OUf!,h~H H01'',]i: RE~iEllIE:S PrOf;ontod to: John Burri son {'(n' G(701'gia }l'olkloro Submitted by; Kay "nri ill l'!8.y 28, 1970 -f \ '. !)/ 11,.6; /b Hrs 9 Svnnwon hRS live in -frog .p..ond for thirty years n She oriSl,i.nal1y Has from Luthersville about tVJf.mty miles from Pine 1']ol'nLDJn, Most of her family lived behreen Odessa and t1oundsvil1e~ J'lirslt SND.nson is a VOl'y dynamic, aggressive l'lOnJen Nith vm'y strong oonviotions about most everything, Sh(~ takes greR,t pride in being the mother of ten ohildren a] 1 of Hh 0'" HY'e ~froHn Bond h:lve children of their O\'Jrl o Her moth.er IJ,nd aunJ: Nero boHl rn:i.chJiveslI Front thfJSe l.:-;JO people sho :,cocieved most of her va. st knoHledeo of hOrr1B romedies... F'or three hours she spun off these remedies ",ith ea se adding frequently her comments on hOH trl() 'lo.rId had Horrt 'Hrong... l\'J:rs~ S,,mnson is in her seventies. WI-TAT'S INSIDE Colds 1'a1101' and k8,1'osono Habhit tobacco and pinetops Mullon tea Bonosod li'lo nnol Sourr''y Grass Hoal't l"luttel'ing Hog hoof ton Flu Gm,l lnaYJ1J.}~e tea High leovol' torpontlno undoY' the bed tcn."pontino dOvIn bnckbono red onions oVer the bed vhJ,l'ts bIood of w,]'t on oorn II (I l'/11'5o S'wulSon 'rB dime in rm'l eggs coH lnanUl'e eggs in vinogar Boils n.nd S(H'E'lS tOY'pontino and sugnr suI fur SIll'ing 'fonic turnip gl'c-)(?ns nnd poke sa.lol, sassafras teas calJ.imo Thon a. nd No\,] Fn\ToJ" pC::lchtl'(-)o ]etlvos pop]m, leavos tOl'pent'l no undo]' hod :rod onions OVAl' bod butterfly l'ooL pago 1. page :>. pfj.l~e 2 p"go J 1'0.[';0 4 pago II, pago 1. page J page J }logo J pogo J pn.go 1. page 1. page :>. page 2 page:) :>. pago 2 pn.go :>. I)2,ge 1.5-16 page J 1'-'\[';0 J, 17 page J, 1.7 pI' go J, 1.13 pclgO J. HJ pa.ge II, , 17 II.. Ny'so S\vansorl F'0VGr blB.ek snake root s~Un snake root Bt"irns sod" A.nd syrup Hhite vaseljne n.nd qui nino Chil] salt in hands fodder tea shunk tell. HtiVBS SHeet bubblos red onion tea bluG mHsh n.sfitti 'fhrnsh blue mash "srittit:i. Teething penny around neek undershIrt wIth sleoves Colds SHeet oil C01'1 nlR. nv.po, 1';\ bb:l.t t..oba(~eo, and pi ne top hOl1(W. glycerin and lemon juie(~ castor oil scurry grass Birth Contl'o] Kidnoy Trouble sHeet spirits of Netty'io 1'H\tm'melon and egg r;hell yello", root l"JI'tit(w" (vagh18,l inf()()tion) Nutmeg slop jar Di:ll'rhon. all.ulll Clay lifJ.ting Soft bonm3 eod ]j VOl' oi] tO~IJ,9.tO juieo page L~, 17 pago Ij" 17 page I, page Iipage 1./--5, 19 page 5 pQg0 5 page 5 pAge 5. 18 page Hl~I9 page 18 pago 6 p!J.ge 6 p!J.ge '1 page 7 ["".go 13 page 8. 19 p8.ge 13 ptlge III pago 17 p!Jge 8. 30-31 }-\!J. go 9. 26 lYl.ge 9, 26 p.:'lgC,) 26 page 910 rX.lt;e 9-10 pa.ge 10, 17 p;.lge 11.12 p'lgoU.~12 ptgo It..12 Ear Aehes m'loe'L oil Hoarseness oJivo oil Stomach peo.chtree bapk HIlum black s<lake root Convulf3jons catnip Measles shuck toa Deliverll and post-partum F,' egna nt \'ioman hook vine l''Jenur:;f.rati on hot Ha.tOl' and toppont:Lno duek bil] r Hemol'bhhgo ;Hid.' misseaiTiage 'tJartn Blood on handkeroh:ief Celds :3curry gra ss bonesod Habbit tebacoo mullen tea Asthma pabb:Lt tobacoo sty OJel, Timos page I) pago l.J.~ pO,ge 17 page 17 page 17 page 18 page 1.9 1,",ge 21 ~,2). 29 page 2) [",.go 2) page 28 page )1 pago 2 page 2 po.go 2 jk~go ) rXtge 2 pnge ) pngo 5,,6 Page 1. Informant: Mr. &~Ws. Eddie Scott Plne Mountain, Ga. Chin%berry Community As fa,r as,You Imow,something having a bad cold or something or another like that- well I used to get taIlor, grease my chest, mix taIlor and lcerosine and just every little~ \~'f""l'could think of vThen I used to have these bad colds and I'd mix it all together and rub ~y chest with it. And after I'd get through rubbi,ng, I'd put a cloth across my b:~n(J,13t and put a string around my neck and let it come I' down to hold it. IWhat kind of taller was that?j Yiou ",an get beef taIlor. Mine was beef taIlor-what ~ot. You know, you can go up here to the store where the people kill hogs at, I mean kill cows and ask for taIlor. tHag hoof tea, what is hog hoof tea for? IIt's good for fluttering at the heart. 1For heart trouble?!Yea,for when your heart is fluttering, you know. It's good for that- make tea out of it. Parch it till it just get grumbly; then put it jn a cloth and wrap it, then pour hot WAter through, then drink it. That's good for flutterin'at the heart. See, sometimes your heart quivers, you know,- that's gpod for that. I drink it sometimes for cold. rVlhere do you get the hog hoofs at'l] Vlhore 1'oo1'le kill them- just save them. When you have the flu, you get you some cow manure, sort of dry. I drunk it, I drink some more if I have it to do. And uh just like he told you about how you fix the hog hoof, pour some hot water to it- put it in a rag- pour some hot watel' to it and let it steep. And then after you let it steep, you drink it. And it have done me good. rFor the flU7J 'f Pe.ge 2 Yes mam, I used to have the flu. It shore is good for that. ] know that. Cause these folks say, "I wouldn't drink it" and I say] drink anything to help me when I'm ill. Rabbit tobacco and pine top- that's good for cold. Put it on, you know and boil it- that's good for cold. ('Do you boil them togetherY! Just boil them together, just put it in ther0~ together- that's good for Gold. And if you want, ,you can put some pine top in there. Pine Top and rabbit toba.cco. You know, that's all people done before this fast time come up here. They just use home remedies. Yes roam that's al~ou had. Shore right. And you get well with it and get better if you didn't get well. Shore right. But now, you don't see nobody hunting rabbit tobacco or mullen or nothi.ng., Going to the doctor. \ What's the mUllen~ Well it's something or nother that gravIS. It's some right up there, aside that road there. And uh it grows. Some of it gro1'1s that big, some of it graVIs great big. [GraVIs in bunchesil Yes roam. Yibu get tha.t and uh ma.ke a tea out " I, I of that. What's~for7J Well, if you got a cold, that's good for cold too. I've drunk a many of cups of mullen tea a.nd get in the bed. Ynu don't hear that now. They got torlw,ve a doctor. These doctors are making the money. Shore is, shore is making the money. I declare. These home remedies- they good. Yes mam, my mother says so too. She know what she talking it lej \1 about too. Wouldn't nle much sickness as there is nm~- using these home remedies. You didn't hear tell of nobody going to ho hospital. Page 3 \ HaV~~y'oul\Of anything that Hill help you break a high fever2J Let me see- sort of let me study' it. Ybu kno>l >lhen your mind ain't on anything, you just forget it. [DO you kno>l anything that'll break a high feved'] vlell, I don','.t:~ knoH-been so long. I seen ah, hear tell of people put terpentine under the bed in a saucer, you knoH. I heard urn do that, then I heard say that they grease right dOHn their backbone from this bone here on dO>ln the back, rub it >lith terpent,ine. Thet break it. [Do you set the terpentine on fire l~hen you put under the bed?] No mam. Just pour it in a saucer, just like you buy it, just pour in a saucer, set it under your bed. That fever. Take up that fever. There l-ms something, oh >lhat WlS it, that you hang over the bed. That's onion. I think is an onion. That's red onion that cha tie up over the bed. That catch fever too. But you don't you don't see them Eke you used to. I hear them Ivco), '\ \JJ ~,J,. say if".'Youhthat w{!'7!, kind. of pick it till it bleed a little, put on SOnIB corn and. give it to the chickens, throH it to the chickens. They say that'il take it off. I haven't ever tried it. Well, you don't see folks doing nothing like t.hR.t nm-I. All this about done aHa.y >lith noH. EYerything they have nml is about doctors no"" medicine. Folks used to use bonesed for cold']h.nd such. I used t.ha.t. It vTaS right bitter but it l.as good. I don't. kno>l if you could find any bonesed around here. LIt gravIs in the >loads or in the m-Iamp?~J Grm. in the swa.mpe '] \ page '+ They had some flanmJl and they >n'ap in gro.vy put it to our chest, you know they did. I <l.on't spect you can find no flannel now. You kno>1 it used to be, I don't knoH t1hether you old enough to remember, it used to be red flannel you could buy. You oould b~ty this vl)dt,e"flannel. You take that and grease it and then put it to yonr chest. I don't have no idea y'ou could find 8. piece of pod fl/;.rme1 noH. !fJY ~1ama used to use undershirtsrause He didn't have any. There's a heap of remedies but it's been so long you just about forget all t"hat you did do. You get a cold nOH and don't nobody care, right to the doctor gone, done forget all this home remedies. LWhat about scurry Heed '( Did you ever use scurry Heed for anything~J Scurry grn.ss? That Hhat you tnlldne; about? That's ",hat it t:i.s. Thht's good medicine. I tell you right not" it's good medicine. Better not take too much of it; do it'll tease me. That's Hhat Niss Leddie Has tell1.ng me. v/hat's it good for? For oold. When you have a lot a cold, you know you get some scurry grass and make you a tea and dl'ink Lhat. 'lJhat'll just bl'ine; the ~old out of ,your stomach. I knol1 that cause I done tJ'i"d that. Don't you go ahead and drink too much of it. MiGS Leddie says it runs you 1-,0 denth. It ",ill, I lenow. Note: The rest of thi.s intorviEM j s omittcd. Tho discussion mai.nly tuims to roli[,ious pl'ncticos such n[l shouting, getting thc Holy Spirit, etc. /0 Informant I ~1rs Pine Frog Slmnson Nountain, Ga. Pond Community page 1 Gypsy told me to fil" a dime into a pO'lder a nd give that girl three ra", eggs a day 9.nd put some of that dime in it. And Niss Baby said thR:t l,hen she moved from Nissippi to Birmingham that that 11as the prettiost br01>J11 skinned young vlOmen she believed there Has in that plaoe thoro. Sai.d she got Hollo I never heard of t.hat dimo. Ain't t.oo mnny folks hoard of i.t. She sa id it rea lly rule out. TB(t.uboroolosis). You eVor used it.? I give my grO-ndson one l,hen he 'Tns-Dr. Ell is say his lung '10 s oovered. I fUed up a dime and I give him some of t.hat dime in every ra" unt.il he e"t. t.hat. dime up. I ain '~kn(l'led of him t.o have any trouble since ",.l.tb: his er ahl you kno11) lungs. I shore t.ried t.hat. I bought. me a, I t.hink I bought me a new file and I just sit dONn and file that dimo -held it vlith a pairs pliers - until I filed up just a tiny little bity piece that you COUldn't. hit it llit.h the file, and I give it. t.o him. Aov,d a old lady t.old me-old midwi.fe- she told me a child oould be born "ith TB. Sa.id but er ah oow manureit. 'd cure it. .lHb" do yOIl uso tho 00'" monmo?~.( Just boU it and mo.ke teR. out of H. sb'Hin !tt and [',ive it to it. She said she knoN thot. But heap of (folks) SHy "I die fore I bke that!'" but I drnnk it H ma.ny a time and give it to my children. I don't feel bHd over:i.t. It'll sweat you and loosen th:IL cold up on yOul' chest and "hen you thi.nk you "ant to oough, uuuh YOllr mou~th just jump full. IT roally do get it out of you. II page 2 \'iell, you see, that's Hhllt peo pIe, you knoN used to use ,oas home remedies. But nOH they e;ot places thoy send you. And you go there And stay And sometimes you come bA.ck and you gets back dmm Hith it again. And if they ntay at home, they could do things for theirselves. No, I don't think of many remedies noN. One old lady told me-she Hasn't no midHife-but er ah she told me, sayer ah a quart of vinegar and tHo eggs in that quart of apple vinegar. Just let tha.t vinegar keep those errgs up. Don't bother it until those egf',s is, you~no"r, 'Gat up.Then you strain it and se.id take thl\t and she sayth8t cure TBs. And er ah she .told me honey's nestHell thRt's something out :l.n the Hoods, you knovr, up in the trees. You get that. I think she say some gypsy "romen told her that too. She did. This Has a lady, you knovr, out beb.een Luthersville and Qreensville - old lady. She say you get that honey's nest and put you something dmm on the hearth, you knoH, Hhere you can pick it up and get those ashes, And burn that honey's nest and put H a quart of Hhiskey and every time you get ready to take a spoonful of it, shake it up good And say "n1en you drink that up, say that cures the TB. But noH they got neN remedies for everything. People stump a boil off their toe, Houldn't do nothing but get um some karosene and pour on their toe amd maybe put some terpentine on thel1',and a little sugar and tie it up end toe get Hell and go on about their business. NOH they got to go to the doctor. r just look at them and...umph. Yea, doctor, doctor. And springtime, folks Hould be busy cooking turnip greens and cooking polk salet, and mix it up. That's to cleanse your blood for the spri.ng. Drink sassafras tea but noH everybody page 3 drinks coffee, see. I got me some sassafras lAst year but a teacher t{l.)b~ding here ",ith me, she bring back for me from Hontgomery, you Imm< that. A kind of store that have sell, you know, herbs and every pharmster(pharmacy\J', Do you knm,r er ah they so many doctors now and they got more sick folks than the world has ever witnessed. Now when they have all these doctors, peoples ,ras well. You didn't hardly hear tell of folks being sick like they is now. You didn't think anything about every pain that come along. No. See, folks "asn't sick, sick, sick, sick sick. Now they so many folks, don't have hospital enough to put them in. And when they's using home remedies, g[',od gracious alive it ",ould be months before you'd go tb a burying- they wouldh't any funerals then. They bury maybe no'" and have the funeral ",ay in June, July. Burying Has 111Elybe Is st fall or the first of this year. (~JhY ,ras thau] They just "'asn't no undertakers or nothing like that, see. A person died, just go on and bury them. Wasn't no such thing as signing up to bury,. A person died, you just bury,see. But no"" you see, they got everything on this modern time. You better not bury somebody no", before you, you kno"', get authority. Do they'll ruin you. When fever, folks is got a fever, they'd get this hOl'O, you know, peach tree leaves and poplar tree leaves and put in the bed- that's to help taka the fever. They take terpentine put under thbed in a S8.ucer. They'd take a bunch red onions, htl) if they {,that lllany. If they didn't, .. they just take one red onion and er ah tie a ~J:'i\g a.round it a.nd tie it up right over your bed. And that onton would just vrVtther on down. Drink of of this here butterfly root and samsnake root and all like that. Give you th"t in your vrater. And ncm it ain't nothing like that. L~lhat vIas the butterfly root and S8.m snake reot ford I reckon tt was for your imlard, you knovl, fever that you h"d. That's "lhat it vras. That's vlhat my mother (tive nIY brot.her. He had the, you knovr, fever. You don't find anybody that knovr that stuff now. Novr, I knm1 butterfly root but I ain't never knovTed sam sna.ke root and black snake root-I ahl't knovred that. no more than when somebody get it, I knovl it TNhen I 5se ito But to go in t.he woods and get# it, I can't do that. Burns, sure. Wouldn't do nothing but take soda and syrup and milt it up 8.nd put on burns and put a cloth over it. That draHed t.he fire out of U. Just get some, I knoH. My daughter- th8.t' s her picture over- she fell out of my lap one night. I'd been sitting up therG)n0dding. I'd been up to my brother's. His Hife Has lovr sick and I'd lost a lot of sleep. And! Has sitting up there vrith her in my lap and she fell and she fell in t.he fire. And her forehead, you knovr, that burned across there. And fixed up some vrhit.e vaseline, and some quinine. And you can't tell tt. See, that quinine cools, it takes the fever out and keep it cool too. And vlhen it get Hell you can't. tell it eVer ha ppened. A chill. You put table s8.1t in your hand and shut your hands up Itke that. It used to stop them. Whether it does nm1. Just. puk table salt in your hand 8.nd it'd cut Un! off. \YS'i" III \ Chills like when you have a feVer7J Chills just chills. Chills like when you are freezing to death. Fodder, used to have fodder t"", .and s.huck tee, for a chill. And use table salt. [~mit 51.3-516] Aint't no fodder now cause folks don't fool with fodder anymore. And I reckon that bUr!l up shucks wh8.t corn, you don't see nothing like that. I'Good for the amimals to eat, isn't it?OI Urn uh. We '"alk over what, you know gives us a healthy body. But some of it We don't know what it is. AHd Some of that ~le do kno~l, "ain't got time to fool with that stuff, I Just as well go on tb the doctor. Home remedies ain't no good nm1." They ain't cause you don't take time to fool with them . '\ Did you ever use honey suckle for anything?) No, let me see. No the,t's sweet bubbles. vlait a minute honeysuckles. No, I a~e\'t never knm'led honeysuckles good for anything.L>'lhat's about the sweet bUbbles'U That ,'s something that smells sweet- have a good smell. That's good for hives, babies's hives. (Viait a minute ~lhat is it?j It's 8. honey suckle and it's 80_ I don't kno~l. It"s a wild honeysuckle and a s~leet smelling honeysuckle. Well, the sweet smelling honeysuckle- that's the ana th8.t's good for, you know, babies's hives. And red onion. Ybu can, you '~'& knm' , give urn tea out of red onion and make1\break,~..out the hives. Used to roast urn in the fire. Just, you knoH, roast urn in the fire. And take urn out and put in a olean rag and squeeze the juice out of them. And put a little warm "Iater to .it or milk a little breast milk in it and give it to the baby. And, oh boy, you talk about bumps, they come out on that child. [1'hen they are alright7J Urn they alright cause hives ~1i.1l kHl urn. Host doctbrs I ,I!' pHge 6 nm~ SHY they Hin't no such thing H.S hives. But they is. Mine had it. 'fhrash, they don't believe in trash. U:'s thrash. Their mouth gets sore and their tongues gets sore a.nd oovers their mouth a~lful. t~lha.t did you sey-blueon, bluing- the.Vs ~ms good for hiVes?} Was it blne mash that I said folks used to give babies. It ~ms a gummy somet.hi.ng. That old blue mHsh- I don't spect there's any in the st.at.e of Georp;ia nOll. Anybody could t.ake it n.nd m".ke it. int.o a pill and it. ~Jould clean your st.omach out. so good. But. mot.hers-most. mothers- used t.o keep it for t.he babies. You give um blue mash- some of um use asfitti and some use blue mash. Bot.h of um H8.S, you ImoH, hive medici ne for babies. It smells like garlic just. like and you can buy it i,no. litt.le box in the drugstore. You ca.n put. it in l'1/l.t.er, in a little t.epid ~mt.er, or else you can put. it in whiskey. And just give um a fe'" d1'"ps ,in, you knm~ milk. And t.hat keep t.he hi.ves out on them a.nd make t.hem rest ~Iell and t.heir litt.le st.omach ~lha.t. t.hey eat.it. digest.s. Asfist.t.i.. ('ca.n you st.i.n buy ud lim uh, you can buy it. in a drugst.ore. Asf:i.tit.i is the Hay it.'s spell. The last blue mash I tried t.o buy. I could buy it. at. home at. LuthersvHle- I oould hu,y it.. But. I got. d011n here, I couldn't. buy it.. I had ". lw.by Hhon I moved dmm here and they send me some sort of pill-bluo. I don't kn01'J, I WJ.S sC9.red t.o give it. ttl,) ll1.l,,baby cause I didn't kno~J o.nything about it. I ~ms used t.o that. blue gum st.uff, you knoH, blue mash. Folks used t.o remedies and t.eas, you knol~. It Has somethi:ng folks used to put. around children's necks, said it.'d make um easy t.o cut t.eoth. But I don '.t., you lcnoH, I never did:'i~hat /6 f:h".t 1'leed 1'/I1S. But old folks used to get it for mo. And you string it- out it in little blocks, you kn01'/" and string it on 8. string and tie around their necks. And that help um, you kn01<, and it 1'louldn't be hard, you kno1'l, cutting their tlaeth. But no1'l my last chUd, I put a penny around his neok. Put a hole in a penny somebody givo him, D.nd I put a hole in it and put .,round hi s neck. And I kept it on, you knc>l, so he \'lon't out t.,eth so hD.l'd. Somo of um, you knoH, it really makos um sick cutting teeth. I kno~1 a old l"dy she told me in Blrmignham- I lost " chi.1d out thel'o. He ~ms sick, she come to see him. "'ho,'sail<;!, you 1moH, the doctor said he had pnuemonia. I Hont and got this old midl'life doctor 8.nd she S8.y he h"d pnuemonia.. And she S8..y children t,/hen they're teething the least cold they take,) it settles in their gums. And S8.y their gums aches them like our teeth aches us. And she say that er ah, soe everybody go naked nOH, she said then she told me to put a undershirt on him. A baby needed a sleeve on its arm all the tl.me. riaid nO~1 say a b"'by '/ she her and a baby when it's cool to us, it's cold to them. She said noH a bo,by's blood is thin 8.nd she's a old lady and said her blood t"as thill!. And so after that I lost him. So the rest of my chi.1dren I let them HillaI' a little thin -make 1.t out of flour sack_ a little thin, you kno1'l, undershirt .,ith sleeves 8.10ng here (balf\my to elbo1'l). '\ You ever heard of pino top tea to koep from gotting .. '( . pregnant 7J Nove; in my life. I drHnk many a dose of it. ,'( pa.ge 8 . I put eO"T tea, 1'.r! boj 1 some e01'l manure and pine t.op t.ogether and l'8bbit. tobacco, but Ii boil that. for bad colds. I never' h(;ard tel] of nothing to keep you from gett.ing pregnant. other than don't bother a man, "Then I HI'S having my children. That.'s all I kno;,. Lots of people 8,hmys knm, different, you kno;" signs, just Itttle remedies t.hey've ehT8,ys kno;m. That be the place \'There t.hey 1'Ion't. never have. no b8.bies O8.use the world grovTing up in pines, you knm,. I didn't. get on t6 the,t remedy, sure didn't. I didn't knm'l nothing t.o do but. have babies. But you kno,., I don't regrot it c8.use that's I'lhat the Lord said, you knm", h8.ve children. But they going to cut it. out nm.,. Won't be no children in the next thirt.y years cause These here birt.h control and this here tablet.s and mess, you knclH. "lhen these young ones get grovm, they Non't be no more children. "ihite folks ain't hear no man just have b.,o. They making it a plan, you knol", ffamily just has hlO children. Well, suppose you have b.,o and you lose the hlO, then vlhat. I think you ought to go on and have your chHdren. The lord cut you out to breed. "You can't feed um"-folks used to feed um. I had a step-sister ,,ho he,d fift.een ne'r sixteen and didn't none of them die from hungc1'r. Apr! times wOIlLdn't nothing like the money ci.roulat.ing tn the vlOrld t.hey is today. Cause folks was l'1Orldng, gro,.,ing their oorn and they peas and t.hey pot.atoes and t.hey syrup and they meat. And t.hey had they cow and that viaS they mtlk and hutter, see., And folks ltved good. Can't have but one 01' t1'l0 children noVl, you cnn't support 11m. And evorybody hollertng you going, they got toOmHny olothes, got too mHny olothos. Can't support but one or tt'lOo Well, J thi.nk that's about I knOloJ, romedi.es. And just about everything I have told you I have done that, I have used 11m too. NOH thAt sl"eet spirits of Nettrie, I done used that. You can buy that at the drugstore. That's for your Id.dnoys. And \vatormelon seed, last yea.r' s ~T8.tormolon seed and egg shellthat's r,ood for your kidnoys. You j:\'lrch the egg: shell,see. NOvl you I"reh and then you, you knoH, maGh :it up and boJ.)J.ng hot ,mter on it and those ~r8.termelon seeds and then you strain it "and drank it. And that's make your Hater come out. Comes freely. And I'TOmon used to have somethi.ng they called "Hhites". Oooh my, j.t smells so ba.d a.nd you eould just ba~1Je, bathe, bathe dmm there a.nd it's going to you knoH P'lss, pass. And you "'ould just have the ",orst odor. Well nOl", I think j.t w,s Aunt Henie told me to er ah- see folks didn't have bathrooms then-to empty my slop jar in that leak in the house I,here the ,mter falls off the top of tho house. vlelJ. I done that. She told me to get me some er ah- I'!ha.t is it, I can't cn.JJ. :\tnutmeg. It' s a fla,vor. It' s about that sJ..?e but no" they pulveriy,e it. She told mo to get some of that and bent it up and put sllgnr j"ith and talm mo jus'L a pinch of lard and put d01'i{\ thoro. I stop }l'tVing it. Oh, and just before my monthly ]J eouldn't hnrdly stnnd myself. But I had too" A d they SAyS Y\ th,,, more you batlw tbe Horsor it is and I bel:i.ewe it too. Yibu just bathe,ba.the, bathe and it just out smelll anyth;jmg. She say, yOll knoH, empty your tee-tee behind the house, you know :in the 1eak of [,he house. vlell I did the.t. I think it 1'las Flge 10 Aunt Honie told me, but anyhOl, ",hoever done told me it done me good. And I stop bothering about carrying , you knoH, slop jars to the toilet. Just beat it up, beat th",t nutmeg and put you some sugar Nith it and that Hould clear th8.:L up. And this here b.,d, you kn01,I. don't call it dysentary. F'olks used to call it dysentary \'Ihen your stomach tore up. Diarrhea. Aunt Henie come (dt! my house one morning, p.g,SS by or something or natheI', she'd ahmys stop by to see me. And I had my EttIe boy trying to mop the kitchen- it \'las so dil'ty. Aunt HeniG pulled off her shoes, took that' mop- folks had scouring mops then- took that scouring and scrubbed my kitchen just as good. A"d she made a fire, heat some NateI'. And the coffee pot "laS on the stove, heat that coffee. Poured me out a half cup of eoffee and put me 8. plileee of allum in about Ii ke that. I drunk it anel it done at,ray "lith that. Aunt Herde, she 'las a stem 'Iinding good doctor. N'01l1 _ I just didn't knoVl Hlw.t to do .. I took s" 1ts ,</ and that hiJ,dn't cnecked :i.t<l She . ~'V}"" ,JUstj',me that little piece of allum in that half cup of <loffee a,nd let it dissolve. And I dl'anked it 8. nd I (sot alri'ght. And just her0) noVi my stomach got bad "and I thought about it. And I "lent In here and got me a little ptece of 8,11um- allmH about out nOH- 11 Itttle of alhull and put U. tn mo a little SHalloVi or tt,o of (Joffe"-nd put it thll.t pot a,nd lot tt dissolvB. And I got alright. You can buy allum but most of it is pu]vel':lzed. I gets mine in LaGrange",.,he'.ro I (Jen got the" lump "Tlum. pago 11 I liko tho lump allum. I don't liko this old pulvor:1.zod allum. Like CH.use I knm,r Hhat 51.7,8 piece I HDnt t,n use~ you knoH It But th:1.s pulvor:i.zod allum- I can't gauge :1.t liko I oould cause I "H8.S rniSfJd up on this other arl UnI, you knoH (> Douehing. taking douohos for body troublo, put a 1ittlo pioco tn your 'Wltor or vinegar or vlhateve:p you, you knot'!. do. lump allum. A,nd I just Iik08 Folks are just so sore. They get b~Hl ple.cHs, the,>, have to go to tho doctor. If you ca.n't cnro up a. soro \,ith dry OJ' ah dry sulfol', it is a torrib]e sore. Ain't got nothing to do but koep it clean and keep it dust >Ji.th e'" ah sulfer. And grot out all of tba.t stuff and cure :1.t up. you can buy it. I try to keep "'0 somo but they passed ala.", ean't a.nybody havo it but H doetor'll \Did you over 00.t any day?] You m;M' Hbite mud. No. Sm) D. lady eo.ting somo today. [\4JIHt' s it ,mpposod to 100 fOl' '! ] I don't kOO1J. They ''''y thoy just or8 7,y. And er ".h bofore rr1Y first glX'J H8.S born) my mothc-nd s s:i[,teY' nsk me if I hn.d starting Hhito dirt", I told hor nO<!l She told rno you [sonnn st.art.. Woll, if 1),O.d that.bRby I~nd silVeil )lIorn, T 8::;ri't novor' OD.t no clay <') Some poople oa.t rod elRJT (I They Just go to t.ho bank and dtg it out a.nd eat. i.t. [You don't kOOH why thoy do it, '~J I SllPO don It.. But a Bick mu'so told rOf) s,':I.y' it~ \ms t3ornothine; thoy body nill1 fj fol' tlnd 'Lhey do:n 't: "got, it. :tn thAi' mud H.nd e1' ah", "[,Ile11 thea gi.rl I shOlved ;>rou, hOl~ nnd )101' son' s pJ.etUl'e.- sho WlS my' be.b;\" I Horkod Hith th'I" 'IR.dy tHO Hooks .ond she R.skrcld me did my bR.by ent djlt7 'I told hox' yos sh', 21 She <1aid "Hell, Vil'a. 1 toll you Hhat you do get yOI1 80Hle :'\'1uibbs' God Livor Oil and give her or else o. ean of tomato juiee and give her and SR.y r,ho'll ntop eating dh-t," I did tJwt too, She na.y it's something your body en.lls for a.nd you don't get it :i n your food, And sn.y t.hat' 8 \'Ih" t ma.ke Yu~\l~"M(I]~.r;.t,. [lWhcv l1 t.hese people stn.l't. en.ting it. do they get. ki nd of like they have to hAve itDThey sn.y t.hoy do. Thoy just red dirt ;,hieh over one t.hey eat. But T ,dn't. Hhite d:i rt. or CI1:C l'H1ver,."no (Lht.~ liivOl"Jr time you BOO rne on.t4ng I: ol):Ling something 1'10.8 (-'-1n.t~_blO$ I ain't never eat no d'll.'t. But. ,'.fter that I tl'y to get me SOHIO Squibbn' Cod Liv'oY' Oil and give it 'te) ",11 my ehildl'o}]. And t"',oo, she tlskod rrlEC) lUiS sho baH logged.@ T told 118l' sho \'Ins. Sho t.old me to givo it that. eod liver oil a.nd T e;ot. lt~ And hol' Q;Y'oHed just as ::;t,rnJ.ght<.l She sn,y n. soft honod pol'son they al:'O e",,,y to got siak. ThO least l:i.tLlo th-ing t.hey'l) get siok!> Y'ou soc you goes to the elin'i a n01'! and HII like of that And peoplo, ,you knoH jn~rt don't bothm' "Hith it ealU")o SOO, you had to catch on tho elin:!" eorta]n timo, Sho say a. soft bonad child or ,~. g'r'OHD porson" [j:\Y n.1.1o'rlX:; flomothing is :dJ..ing thom" They bones 1.3 soft. [Is th"t h("" you tell'!. If they al'O hotJed. le~gGd, yonI' bone.':; is sOft:iJ 8ho S;:IY JrOl.~ cnn gP01-) up 3tN1a:ight :1 ege;ed a.nd hrovo soft bonos, [HOH do you knoH theil' bonos is SO:f't'~J T rlol!tt lOloH0 3ho'~3 a sink nUl'so" 3ho vUJ-G from O;J,lJofol"rd,n, horn n:nd l'CflJ'od 11'1 Californin,o) She SAy any "h:i1d. you. noe bm) 1ogg"d. theW noed tlw.t "ad l:i.vo,. Or' e:i,th(-n~ plenty of tOllmJ,o jUiO(h And they legn t you knoH ~ got strA.:.i ght Hnd hm.'den that bone, l:Ao.ge 1.:3 [Gon you think of anythlng for tho (0''1' ,acherJ SHoot oil, thot' s aTI I 1moH. \3Jh'lt's SHoot Oil'0 SHoot oil~th... t's nIl :f: ()flU toll ~lOU0 S1-Tf:yL oJl you. got <d, tho ch~urrstm>n(l v,]arIl1 :it 1 just you knm'l, and just put yon a dX'oj) or tHo in your ear@ I keopr, me ,'J I1ttJ.oi} I don't havo the n~l,r aehe" I just ko~p put,t:i.ng in my oar ;you lmovr to Gofton and clean my oal' out, yon seo, If you put something in yoUI' ear orwo and a "rhilo Hax in it Hill got hard in it. Afld OV81'yl'.:ime my r;f1'anchi.ld:t'on dm-,ri. he:t'o, I lw.vo to ,.J put somo m,1(~ot oil in thc{1'\i) ear.. 'rhey don q~ havo to hnvo none til they como dm'1n hero" Grandmama put some tn-100ft o:i 1. in my ear. My' 08.1' itohos, put some :in thmo. Y. 'II don't have it til you come dot-In hore.. Gr'o.ndmtHrl put SHoot olIo I have to kepI' some "HO(,t oil, There is tHO of m,Y' grandchildren, their ear shoro is gonna get ,-n.-'ong \'Jhen thF)y get here", 1:'hoy mu.st l:ike the ,my it fools. Yoa, it roll and just )'un in yom' hoad looks liko. But tho nex.t day ,you can ':!Lake ,~ hail' pin, you knOH, and you can the most, soft, ';.la.x.. SOnlotimHn you get, you kno\'1~ l:ittl., fl".kes of Hax out of yoU!" ear. You h".ve a hoad oold you put that o:il in your eap a.nd. you knoH, it ..Till help run that oold out of youp head, Honey and glyo0r:in~ that's [';ood for, you knoH, colds 'In you)' throat.. Whon your throat clogs up- honey and glyool'i.ni and lmnon juioe. /js that. good fol' SO)'0 throat toofl Um ull :It'll helpu But I'nnn (~r ah I alHays sometJd.ng extra" I pu:Ls me sOnJe olive o:iJ.. ~tJw.t's D. fino oiJ.. too~ I puts mE-) some olive oil, glyoorin. and lemon jUl.8(). I have me fonr extra .Y;"u can 8lear that. stuff out of you)' thl'oa.t- you can spit i.t up. Olive oil is' a. fine oU.. And:if:l.t get on sOl\leth:ing. H.' s .just there, It ain't coming out. It's just there. A lady told me- a preacher's ,life. L got hoarse one ,,1.ntm,. I just stayed hoarse and stayed hoarse and I wots do1.ng everyiching I kneC1ed to do. :3he teld me say "Sistor SH8.nson, say, yeu look you Ocni\a\\,'1\0 got I'J..d of 10hfl.t J109.rse. You go and take you sarno ali.vo oU. and tako it." I 8".i.d, "Tl1.ko that nasty stuff~" She said say, "Yoa take it". That wJ.s Hhen my baby Has about a year old, L reckon. ANd now he's th:lrty-tvro goi.ng on thi.rty-throe. And ever s:lnce then, I koeps me some oli.ve oil. You take too much, 1.10 make you fat. Its grea sy. I beUeve it' s the grea. siest oil it :ls of all tho oD.s. 1 beli.eve i.t. I don't put it on nothi.ng. If I'm , Cj'l \ 1\'\ t1t.ake it, 1'11 ,just go on and take it. And I'll put it. , you knm1. I'll mix it up "Iith the.t lemon a.nd honey li.ke that. NOH d~.st;or 01.1. If I'm gonrw. tf!.ke that, I cook i.t. Looks li.ko to me I cA.n't sHalloH it HeJJ.. It's too thick. A"d I cook it. and it looks li.ko that thins it out~ And put somo sugar in it. And I just ta.ke a to.blespoon of co.stor 01.1 and dli.nk some ,rater and go on about my busi.ness. \vhat' s co.stor oil for'l It grease up your intost:i.nos o.nd let cold out of you. That'll roally get it too. People" say they can't take but I can t.ake it. 1'in not gonna take :lt. 1'8.>1, Thoy say i.t '1nl const:lpo.te you and gripe you, you tako it ravJ. Well, I'll cook it. If I goL IJ. brld cold and I'm ta.king CR stor 01.1. I get up thir> lrlOrn:l.ng, I get me a spoon, "HArm it, take me e. spoon of en.stol' 01.1, put it my mouth and swalloVi it and 1 don't ever taste :It. I put :lt im my mouth 8.nd go to drinki.ng 'lIlter. W'"ell, I do that in the morning, I do that in the morning, I do that in the morning Hnd then Hhen I get ree.dy for it to eperate, clelm me eut, I takes t"o spoons full. And, bUddy, it gonna keep you trotting, trotting, trotting. But Hhen it gets through Hith you, your cold is just about over Hnd you feels good. But these folks just ean't, stand it, But that's all folks used to use, one time. Take e",.stor oil and seurry grass tea and pine top tea. Hnd re.bbi.t tobaceo tea- that's nIl folks used to have. And in the springt:imo they usod tee buy eHllimo, pOHder eaJlimo. And yeu ena't hnrdly buy tho.t noH. They tell me they Hon't hardly sol] it to you anymore. Pooples loarned to destroy babies Hith it. And they take just a li.t:tle tiny bit H.nd the end of H poeket knife- thHt H8.S a dose. And that stuff ,,/Ould makc) you so siole. you couldn't hardly see. And thoy give you some eastor oil or eithel' 8. dose of salts bohind .. it. And you talk about running, it Hould koep you running all tho blessed c!8;Y. But no"! ,,hon it start to lolorldngyou. thon you oould eat. But you couldn't eat nothing until :Lt Harked you. NOH if they give it to you in syrup, you could eat you some syrup, If they givo :Lt to you on a FLece of bread you eould eat some bread. If they give it to you and you drank behind :it. y'ou oould drank Hator, But if they just r,ive it teY you and prebably just give you 8. little tad of ",""telr to s",alloH i.t elm!!l 1fi.j;h,\ you oouldn't put no more Hatel'. Cause I kno,). Ny M9.m8 r,ive me some anooo I 1m.s so thirstY,.. looks like to me I HHS going to die. And sho told me to: give the some 1'w.tor.' And that "lOter [ngo 16 >ra.s so good looks Liko to me 1 just hAd to', tn.ste. I. got H. up to my mouth she say. "Sistel' whn.t n.1'O you doing?". I. had tho wltor in my mouth n.nd I. sNAJ.J.oNod it and n.sid, "Nothing". And ovel'y yOa!' for yen.l's my mouth would get sore-every spring. loW mOl1Lh would got sore. It'll sa.livate you, So I don't think bothered '>d.th noeallimo but a. time or bolO after that. After I, you kno1" mrl.rried, I took mo some cD.I1Jmo ohe dayfI It t S gonna make you sick but :i.t shol'e Hill cleR.n you out. And yoU'N) ready then' for the sunnner. ifJr'. eha.d.ie Honry Bell he told. me in the community whor(~ he Wl.S raised. said they givo them bluo nV.l.sh fOl' they spring, you knot!, oleaning out" Say they ,g,11mys give them, you knoH, t"o or three pills of blue mash. Woll, al'ound heN' they e;ivo, you kn(l1'!, caJ.JJ mo. POHdor ealli.mo- thAt's whn.t trw.t 1'11' s for. Blue ma.sh_ tlwt was for bo.bios. &.bio[; on your breast. NOrg: 'rhe rost of this intorviol'l eonsists of Neg!'o Spir:i.tllals. T don't foel .9.13 though I could t!'alwe:ribe them aeeurately Ol'lOugh ~;o do th"i1' beauty just,j.ee. p'Jge 1.7 Smu'l'y e;rn 8S" that's Il. horb llJ(odi cine. Pull tlwt, you kno1'1, up and 1'1a.sh Rnd boil th"t Rnd drink it. That's good for "olds. Got mo somo rabbit toba"co and pine top toa and boil it and strnin 1t" And usod to 3Hocrten it 1'1ith sy.pupo And drink and go La bod Hnd, :r'm tel1:i,ne; you tho truth, you swon-L y'uuY'self to donth. And "hon you oough, y'ou'd cough it up CH.1180 that would loss on :it) soe~ Thnt pine top, you see, that t())~pont:tne en-usn tox'pent:Lne is rrvJdo from pi ne" And 1'OV81"", Poople llsed to uso poplIn' 18avos in thE-J bed .. Lot tho ))OI'",on IIJY' on 11m on top of U", shoot. Thon poa.chtroe J~onves.m> thnt dl'D.H tho fevor~ llf:llp drnH tho fewor' out of y"OlU.' bod,Y. And drj nk off tho poo.chtreo Hatm', And butterfly root, I Geen lily moLhe)' put it :in "loan-lmsh :l.t off good,. Hnd put it in somo H;:d~E-n'f/I And OV()}\Y you l1ivo .tho pen'son sor'lettdn{~ to ddnk, In1l, Il littl0 of u",t lnrl,torfly I'oot tOil in tho "",1001'. And that holp fd.ll t,hnt, you knoH p fevorG And gr'oano 11m e;ood" Used to do that and Uwt helpod Id.l] tho favor. Put a litUo torpontlno in bread Ralt o Nt.nne, used 1',0 grnnsc! rny brothe}~,good n.nrl. lfyL hilll ]};Jy on papIn}' letJ.ves ,'lnrl. peflcht",Y'oo 1811V054 NOH folks, thoy hRvo to I~O 1.0 tho drue;stol'O for. "Oh my stO]i).'l.Crl torn up", It Wol1, you jUf;t go to "",ho ponch'\ treo fl ftd got th~.d, bnY'k I> Anel. Olrt -t t up n nd pnt "it. :i n nome 1,m toY' and (h~ink off itl> Clonn yonr ntornaeh out n.ncl chock i.t up", A'littlo pioeo of "-llllm 11:<0 that. You con put it in somo coffo0~- chod( you llpa AIllHlJ \lhwL ~(OU buy at tho Ch'llfJ;tol'Ofl You CiclYl l-,u1:, ott plllve:ri7,od nY' you cn,n buy It in lumpn" N()H blnck snfl.ko l'oot- thijt, H!l.S good foY' your ~rLolwlch~ l':;y lllothm.' Nas :J nrhhdfo /Ind. shE') knoHcd H lots of hBl'~bStt /'/ pneo 18 acqunintod 1'1ith hol'", And she did 1enl'n lilO so m!HW thtngs but I dono forgEYt Un! not'] .. And :i.t usod to bo '30mothing 'la.noe! bhl.o m"sh ... you don't soo t,hfd~ nnymoX'E-J", Pooplo u.sod to give "{",hat to babios r01' tho hives but no\-! dontcH'f''; sn;yn chilclroon Don't havo lLtvor,,,, And "atn; 1'.. Via]]., pooplo "SO to r:rmr thom n. bun"h of mtnipo 1:1011 I'vo ,SO,)}} my moth,"",, b"hios h".vo, thoy en.ll 11m vortigoo~')~ But or nh sho'11 send us out to tlw catnip hunh R.nd P.~() get some celtnip... And put ent,rlip in tho bnby's hl1.ndso .0 Having ,;p"sms just ,'n] Li.ng hi s eyos just stiff 0 hrL th"t o'J.tnip :i.n his hnnds and hi.nd to tho hottom of his foot nne! ho'el. get 8.1righL o (What sh" just dosorihod \,m.s 8. gonor,o.lizod eo:nvulsj,on" Ohildron often h!),vo those fOl:' VDl'iolW l'O[J::;onn" opilips;Yll high :fover, flspirat:lon ll irritation of the nel'VO tinsuo ] i ke me....,i nU"j '\-'j C' ,yI,(,) -.. " >\ .... 0'" , ... ,J, ~L~Co Havo you evor heard of puttlng tC'':l''porrLlno undOl' tho fovflY' IJ.nd youtd have to put, uncle)}' the-n'(e') OVC-H'Y mOl"ning Just suek it up ovor night. And n.nothor thing- folks used to '\;COko a. bund\ of :red onions FInd tiOl. ,Ulfl togc,:thor and hel.ng l,lnJ Hp l'ight over tho bed And~ 'honoy, "in tho lnorning it 'Hould just go :nJ:l.y''l It drnHS that fever Co 113 thoJ'o <'J.nythlng t',hrtt supposed to bl~:i.ng tho hivo:,,; out on :J ehild'? You give 11m asfit:tti to,';), ox' oithe)" yon en}) nwko nm ped onion tn,g'1I Or thoy usod to givo um hlua njl).~1h but 1 SOlllothi.ng in n..rvtrd:..ohoard box,- ;~'on paid ton eGnt~~ fox' it" And thil.t st..uff in bluo and it's gummy liko ehoNing f!,Wtl" And you t"ko :tt and "'lko '.1. 1; tt:l" bity ball and milk somo )1111k out yonp broast~ thAt.. ' S Hhon folkn ':ltJs, you knmJt sunking bnbies.". put it in ;J. tablO[jpoon :=l.nd t':l.l<e your fingol" and dissolvo :i.t and ~ivo -It to the ba.by. That Hould break them hive:; out so tlr'[ ek ~ And mOH151oslJ ,hurL g"lvo 11m shuek ton" ltnHd.. s that made out of 'f Corn $)n1(:ks 0 And chills, They used t.o put s"lt in ,your h"',ds, vlhon <'3. porson hnve, you knoH sh-il1s, just put salt in you hnncts :=nld grip that SHIt nnd th/lt hl'onk um npQ Not] yon soo peopJe SD-Y"t "I don;lt.. knoH nothing Hbout '1Jm,~u Soo everything I knmj i.s goinr; out of style. Ahd the nD.stiost thing I kno'" and I'd do :tt,t:i.[,ht thin ovonin~.. 1'10 ,just '\I'it t.a.lking about it. Long yom's ago, I hoal'd my mother t"lking !lbollt 00'" toa. Tho,\, \<)ont to taking 001'1 m".nm'e. Get it about tho fifth, or tho sixth or tho sovonth of Nay Hnd r;o ol1t in tho field Hnd g()t And got :i t. .you kn(M frosh and put it up sOll1e\,lher() Hnd lot j t dry. And Hh on it got dry, take it and Pllt it in " ,flollr 5Hck. And then 'td.ntol come [lYld you st:lrt to having your bnd coldH t just mnkB you somo COH tea. And dl'ink :Lt f'nd spit th"t oold off of your lungs.. And you knOll it "'U-lRn't DP.R,r as much [l.S trollble as folks hHve noH. Thc-)l'c') 1'fnsn It no doctors \'forth not..hing. Tho peoples' illness 'rasn't doctors' l:L.v:ings. n",t usod to didn't be." Poopl.os doctotoc! on thoh>solves. But no" time, they stul~p their too, they gone t.o tho c!ootor. And it's more slok folks hI tho Horld th"n tho 1<Jopld 'J'1 )X1.gO 20 over knOlm. And or ah 1'11 toll you anothor thlling-this ch:i.ld birth. I stayed in the bod ",ith my fi.rst child tHO \looks. I stayod in tho hod \'lith soeond ohild- tho doetol' (J,q:i.d stay in tho bed foul' days. Tho fourth day, get up and sit dght aside the bed and let make it up. See, you had to stir your ticks then. As soon they got the bed made, get baek in it. From thon on I eould up and stay just a little ",hile and go baek "nd gClt loa ek i.n th Cl b"d. And my third eh:Ud I staYCld in U", bed tHO \<!"oks. And stayed in thCl houoo one month. Peoples took eare of theil'selves. No\<! I'll be $ov,mty-one yea.l'S old the first ef next month. And the biggest thing I ever had vras a b".d eold. Folks oome by saying th"y got arthritis and they hClad aehos and knees hurt. \'Iell, no\<! I haven't got te th"t stage yet. Folks don't take mire of theirselves. They tn king off this ons' s bre" st and they t,,,ldng off the other one's ]))'e"st. HOH e,,,ile'I 'rIlOY den't let ba.bie,; sue\<: they nipples nnymore. And them neH Ve:insvessals stops up. (During pl'egnancy the mammary glands begin to to secrete milk, thus enlHrging the breast. If A mother doesn't nul'S") she is given D'eladunlOne to dry up the milk. i'll's. Swanson n\R.y \,roll be rip;ht.) And in days to eome it givo you troublo. If tlw Lord h",ln't, a warted peoples to nurse theil' bnbies, he 'Hou:Jdntt a let milk corne in ou}:" brHHstf> And noN cU,'ectly j t vJOn't be no moro ba.hies ca.US() they gone have aborboll. But th(~ Lord told you to'; hSAl' f1'11it, he meant for you to bear it. SO", but He gonna to liko HO "'Ant to do. And. that's Hhy tho \,rorld :ls :in snah H mess nm')fl ll~olks stop doing p9,ge 21 "hat the Lord said do. They gonna, do Hhnt they please. They're Hay up yonder hunting the moon a,nd thoy ain't done ",hat God told urn to do right here on e8,rth. Sec, it e.in't nothing but sin. And Ht, s''Y, "I'm a doctor". Ho say, "I'm alJ .you need". Well, folks don't think about praying to get Hell.. They got to go e.nd get the doctor. You pay out seven or eight hundrod dolle.l's Ilnd you R.in't a bit better off. And all, of that medicine the dcctor giving you, it come .out of the ea.rth. They just teke" it e.nd 'I ? ? it a.nd put s011lething else ,6th it. And they gets "'ell. I don't knoH, let me see. Ny last:timo going'to'the doctor "'as let me see forty-seven or forty-eight somoHhere along in there. And I had a terrible oold. And they s"y go to tho doctor. Woll, I soe folks going to tho doctor 'md thoy ain't" bit bottor off than I I'm and I don't go .. ~)OmH of urn go, every "Jeek arld soma of um,go overy monthe But nm", I got faith in the lord, I pray "nd I try to do tho things He said do; I a ttond church, I pay nw tiths, I try to lwlp seo nbout the s j ok nnd I dnn't have a, Hholo lot 8, trouble. He say, "I' m HlJ ya need," a,nd if He all I need, He jus' all I need. And I'm gonne, trust him to the full oxtent. Do you remember being told that thoy put butcher knives beh'een tho wlttrossas to cut the po,in'l I remember, they used ta. put old axes and butcher knives and things like that to out the pains off but, honey, didn't nothing out mine off. Them p8.ins is a bl' 'I ngJn i elots G Sometimo you have a pain Rnd \'.Then that rXl~i..n F\~';"-; OV()!', yon p8.Sfi !:l elo"L nearly as big a.s you fist. Pnge 22 It's clennin you out; that's I'1hat them patns is for. Vih.2t did I',hey used I.e do Hith the irfter..bhth7 Do yeu rewember? They used to burn um and you didn't eHrry ashes out ef that house until th"t b,,J)y "'" S ono month old I Do you knol'1 any rea. son for tlwt? They say thHt it'JOuld uh, you knol'!, affect th" mother, That's ,,hat thoy said, Honey, my "shes HHsn' eRY'rted out of m,Y house on none of mine until my bHbies ",,).s a month ole. VIh.9t did ya do Ilith them'! Vie had old high buekets and tubs and ya had a plaee yeu sit it out, out a the ,.!ay and they soid that, And the d"y your' baby ,w.s .g. month old earry them ashes out and ompty' them. But no," they don't knotJ "t'71vJt [>f')COl)}(,-) of thnt I fl00~ Well, nOI." soem midwives- I knOlred ono widwJ fe, MOl\! Anna nt Loin, Gn 1iI NOH nhe buried urn", rrhey SHy you could bury um Q But now one lady told we, sho say, they burnod and buried her seeond one and 'lay she like to: froze. Thoy oouldn't get hoI' 1'1Hx'm to savo her lifo. Had to go out thero and dig tho H ftel'birth up and bring ba'ck in their 8.nd put it in tho firo and burn it" But. ;you seo no,", thoy' don't kn(n'I "That beeome of um, S,,-.y, help make you "t"ong and gD.ther y'om' strength llaek. NOI'!, ovoryono of )!Iino tias burnt o9nd I had oiJlht ehildron. And OVOl'yOl1H of my nftorb:irth ,mE) bUl'nt& I didn't put my feot 0;1 th') ground, rllin 01' shiilO,oold or hot until my bnby NIlS tliJO "'Jeoks nIdI} I eouJd "HB.sh plaeos <').nd lLi.po out and "IrIsh my faco :lnd h,;,.:ridsli' I could, y'ou knovT, y,d.po )il.')rsolf ,Upll ldhen I got in n tub, my baby Has sJ..x \'leeks oIdo Thf-.l,t's Hh,d, tho old pDoplos told mo to do, vlhon I \'lashed my ho9ir, my b".by vw.s six months old. Tlwt HilS the ole) 1'U'10 handed dOI'Ill, \;hito and eoloX'fJd" ]\",go ?3 EirL nOl", thoy Hil nh tllOir,ho,,:d tho noxt Hook. ilnd noD,rly ovorybody you noo, thoy got Lho lwndn,ohe, Tho; '> OYOS hurt'; ng 1ml, theIr' baekr; hurt:ing urn" Folks just don't tako th( C.f" selves tlnY111C)1'Oo HON your monthly time. You oould tako a 1ittlo Hatm' Hnd 1'l!1,5h dm'ln thore(perinenJ HreA,) B.nd put soma gr'oa:so on you. to koop from olotting up dmm thoro, But you diclu't Hash nntil you had. done stoppod tHo and thl'cO dny:;" If y'on did Htl.sh, it lwed to elog up in you I>oYrlC-3+jH10 and rwmotimo :i:L 1'10111 d kill you nnel somotimo it', 'Hould mn.ko you think you vm.s [';o:i,ne; to di,()~ 8000 You Houlcl eloe~ up e:':l.ny <) T knm" my husband hnd H (~Olls:'l.n l:1hen l'YO HlJ.S just mnl'r'iod t.Hld sho '-!D.S li.ving HJth USa And. I eoohod 5UppOl' U)!,t' night and I told hel', I say, "16U f,,,,d the hoe;n, Wanny," Fnnn;y' f'Wy, '11 9mfixing to take :1 bEl.th :nol'i'l It 1{1011 , shn 'Lo{}k h",,' both nnd pu.t o:n hel' 8()lo)n nnd Hont thoro nnd foel the hOg[i ~ ilnd tho nHxt dlJ,y Hots ehoppine; Gotton n.nd Ii'o.nny "'ant to tl,o field and Ii'ann;)/" l:lent to crrunp:i.rig riO sho cOllldn t t do noth:ing') vlel] tlJn.t overrLng it look Jiko F'8Yll"lY l:mn gonYlf.1, rLioG I H'lS yount; and erH'l,y'p,; T mtlrr~'t.od Hhcn I Nil S -roul~toon Y'DHJ'S old ... I sa:\d yon ()nr~ht to die). She ough\ to :rod tho hog R.nd thon oomo back nnel took n h!l:Lh~ ;you S004 Sho Look fJ. bath :lYld. them 1:1ont P'\e:ht on mrL q So I eOlil(J on hy Annt "fVInndl':). HnHldnr;.," sho '"(-Ins nolo nrirh)lfeo Arid 1: told hcH'o She sn;y yon go homo find yO'll pnt on ;1, kettle of ldfl,t-,())' rl.nd boll it q And .you e;'ivo li'ann.v soma hot, l'1~ltO:r., JlI.sl, flS hot fU; nhc eA.n b(')ro' ~it,"-:\o!lth H fm.;t dY'op:, of LOY'prcmtJ.no ln ,tt and let ho1' hold 110r foet in somo 1'H)"1', HHtol' Hnd t(n,'p('Jt)L'inco IInd"[ d'id Lhn.t flnc] ,cillO s-Lnl'tod ll:ld< Lo i",~;.';ing, f:r.'on 11ko j ..L oll(jht to llDoAnd 3ho gut all:'Jf~htd But, yOll soc~ if D l1ything ] j ke that rwppened, folks go to 'Lho doctor", 'J'hcW' go Lo Lho doctol' t,o got rt shot for " hn.d cnld Q Just ovcll'yth:ing. I jU:3t look 0'1'. folks 'nK! I say they dono for'got God ovor lived. Thoy dopendil1g on tho dooto:". I'm not n. [:>~-)_nctifio(1~ T clonQt profoss to bo but 1 9m H C}p':lntinn" Doct<)):" told mo :in tHonty ..thr(-w~ I 1rac Ilving in Bll'nr'l.nghrun, told mo soy I had tho hoart troublo, Say I had :i I', bad. S'W 11 ,){>I , "you go haek to Hi] man and tako [I hundred [I nd "ixty dlOtS." Sixt;y shots HilS tJ10 dono r)ut, you soo, I had btHl blood", 1tJoll, th"t made mo mad for him to say tha.t eHUSO ho monnt Thad thot o]d nyph:il1:is, th,d~ old bad dise8''O thnt poop]"s, you lmm''', I'WS h,'ving on )'[1ok then. He told mo say, "No, I don't moon thHt hut yaup first tHO chi ldt'on 1'101'0 born dO:1d nnn thrrt poJsOl1 Y01U' blood", You go back to Bilmfln n.nd you tnko those ::;hotsQ I1 T ain't heon to rH.lm9.ll this ovoning. And. I hn.d hen'd', trouhlo .,"d I h.1dn't hn.d but hID ehiJ.c11'on. Well, 1 ahd six ehild't'en s:"rl'~e . thon" and tbat 'Has i.n twonty,""t:,tlpoe.. ~O,('T, you seo, "Lhn.t gOOf; on\t _1'Lhll.'t I"'ovon to mo then c!oeotr's didn't knoH ,,llllt thoy'" talking fl.houL verJ' seldom" 1'lell) the hom() doctor' hen-Oj) Dr Q Elli S t he' [) :} good doetbl'll He told mo in ninotnon and foy,ty sHy I neodod IJ. opo:r,,-tion and I needod lt bel,d., Sn,Yt "Dc)'n"!':.. Y'ou stop ;1.C1'08S a diteh that H:ido e ll J dono jump()tl ditehos t-dnco thon,g NOH I knoH J: havo fl bad oval'Y j) J hoen hn.v.ing tl. lX-ld OVH1'Y a long t:imoG But I hadn't had t.he o}le:rntion yot~ I ""w have t01 havo it bofm'o tornol'J'()\'J night" But I a1n't, had it yet", ltJHlll' in fm.'ty-I;ovon T lolOnt to Doetol' EILts G I 'W.!.S rlick () page 25 And he took that thing 8. nd run it around my nrn1.lwd pumped it. He say, "V:il'a, hON cmile overybody coHn thoro on that stroet havo high blood 7", I sny,"I don "t knoH ", Dr. J~llir;, :r didn't kn()1; I had :Ito" lIe allY, "y,er; you got it." And he tol d mo hoI'! high my blood 1'10.,[1. Ho "Jj'ote me a presel':iption. Say, "You go homo. 1t And LHJ,y ~ ny{ou t.nkc 'tHO pil1~} OV81'Y fOU1~ bonded." \IIel], I como on hOllio. I Look tHO and the noxt four hourn I took tHOu I took throe dOSf):'>"'" thHt'r; [D.X pillE; ,msn't. :it 7 And, honey, evory dos(0 T took the bod and tho hOUSH Rnd tho Ho:r>ld going this HtJ,y(l Hol1, thoy <'3.tn't no nor:ki. in wo buying something 'that' n maki.ng mo foel 1'10:t'SO thn.n I '\o18.s nll'cady' fooling<) I took th:r:'OB doses and I td.n't, took I took thelll piJ,1s and Lh,'o"'o", tholll l':i.ght out my book door, ilYlrl I ain't took nothlrlg (;"1: 10 rOl' hIgh b100<1,,1 Wo]], did I havo :it 0:(' did I not 7 If:r b,'d it, thl'oO d,,,;os 'Hm]dn't em'od mo Ho,,1d tt" And if I had tho hOf!.l't trollb]o bful ttn Dro Dale,Y sHid. I hod "it in Bil'H1ingh,Jrrl o \'1011, I l1evo:r' ., did go tHke tho::;o allot.so \'J 11 1 whnt, boeofno of tho hoart 'L:r"ollble" T harl ::r f:piend llern Hsed to toll me so.y~ tJAh ,l you e;ot tY'ouhle bad II I cOllldn't of hod nix mOI'O nh:ildl'on ;:).n<1 boon 1:i.vJng t~hls ovoning" And could got up Hnd get nbOlrt<t Tf I hnd n boon liv:i.ng, I HOllldn t t boon good foJ' rwtldne;o But. I cnn got up f:lnd do \'lhut I vm.nt to dOfi p3.go ?6 It' ,; just tho fn ith you llllvo in poop] o. It'" D. p] onty of folks don't havo ",hot tho docto)' sny' they hnvo, They go to school ,o.nd study n]] tId,; "hlff. Hut do you kn(l1'/ ,rhen thoy get thr'ough studyi ng, thoy nli ssi nc; a Hho] 0 ] ots. trhoy' nrl_ssine; tel 'Hho] e lots" T nOYlH told YOUo And all tIds modielno tho~~o folkr:; mn.king~M they r<:an tako it and do sOnJothing olso 1'11th it'<l Cause ponpl(:;'if)~ thoy dono got. it in tho-ir mind they nnn't l:ivc~\t Yon horu" thorn r;f-J,.;J't "I Got Lo bd<o th:'ls mndJrdLIO n,:, lone; ns T livH,," I h,e;,)."!' plonty of folk::; say ito And OV())'y timo a ohod, comos, "I got to C;O to tho docLOl'." vJol1 back yonclol:' \'Jhon thpy -H,'lSn''L no eh'eck~ thoy' dJdn't ~o to t-:.he doctoY'!l Soo" Ain't hothing hut n. r,'.l.cko'L n Thn.t t:3 all" BU.t I'd Jn.thor go got me SOfr]O hod'wo No"':j' , I c\on't knm) blo.ek snnko t:l.nd ~)Iun nnnko :1:'00"1", but my oldost bl'otll(;l" doof>~ He kno~!~~ :Lt, but r don't 0) Sam :::;nrtko r()ot~M l;'lh::rLI':3 thn'!'-.? It.':; t1 roecUcino toOl' ,hwt drink off it" NOH yol1o'H r'oot.~~ that In good fm" y'OUl' lci,dnoys lJ.nd: YOU1' eyO[3C1" CtlW3n your kidnoys affact ,)roul' (\YO~3<j1 SooQ 'rnko somo yo1101'} root t N:Uih it off good. and Tioltt' :;orrtc ~m.tcH-' over it 2.)"1(1 eovor i.t up. And (1l'llI" th'd, ntrene:IJ\ o,,!.of :i.t and thnt \'JIJtel' be Jllst .on yoll()\o), And yon dl'ink it ".nd It shoro Hill br'ing thlJt p"';. off your' ki clnoys. NiJH, this,hel'o'SHoot Spirit.:.:> of Nott.t'lo<jl 'rh8.t~'8 good fot' ;~,.our .ld.dnoy::;", It'~):\ liquld you buy' nt th0 c'l:t:'llgS"l".O}:'oo1 NOH, my b:J.h~l1'1H!' sink" Tlw.t 'Htl.S in l-:.h-jl'ty",.ninou Dr", J~l'I:l!3 oomo dot-In hern And e;ivn him a :-:>hot" I'm n. nnuff d:tppc)'p nnd I IJin't neV()l' ] e:l.)'ned hOH Lo dip., I bl/wo to spit 211 the Lin,,), And my dLiJ d. his little kidney", Ho hndn't ud.n1Jt",1 nine" SHtlll'day rtnd th,').t Has oJ] day SunclD.,Y n.nd. HI] dny' Mo:odn,y" Pn.go 27 T/loll, HevI) Simmons Hn,r; "Lho pn stor of thnt, IJttlo e}n'uch over thoro rend his Hi.fo nome ovor hox's Hondny ovorri.nr;", S()O~ stlO ei-tllccl my ]J.ttlo bn1W hor bo,y:fY''1ond", So, she nomo' over ;HKl Rho H;Jn'Lod to h:ncl\'! "t,hllt wtJS tho i1ltJ.ttor "Hith him .. So, I told hOl'" Thoy sHy ho got pnnorrl0I1i;1. hU.t you knoN', Sisto)' SirrmlOns, m,Y little brtby hcH:ln 9t rrln.do "Hat,ol' rd. nne C1c:d~ln'dIlY.. Sho :';1.'jr, HGood el'Hei.ous~ SWf1,l'lf':djl "l11nt, Y'ou rd~nd;y:i.ng n.bol'l.t 'f Get you sonJa S"lOot Spirits of Not,trio flnd make y'nu nomo sago toa 1/ A.nd. put him fl fen'l drops, about fiftCH-,)D (D.'OP[;, in SOrrlO [j{lgo tea and ::n'fOoton n:nd lot him ctcJnk it$" J ~,rIY''1 nS1tlOot Spir'ii-,s .ot' Hottr~.o'l 1.'ilw.'t 9 s tllfltJIl ,:;ho SH.y, Hyon gots 1t at tho dl'ugs'toroHo I 5~mt my tHo oldost gh'l" to tho drugntore. Andl'ih:ilo Uwy's gone t:,(~,he drugs1',Ol:~e m,y son vJont out in the gnrdon and got t,he sago... And Si:.-t,8r SJlrllllOnS put on tho kottle on the fiJ~(} And boilod w'.toX', And Hhon UIO ehildren got bnek, she'd done go; led the ,m.ter and put the sago in II enp fHld eovored it over') And she just dropped t.hat SHoot Spirits of Not.trio- she put fifteen drops in thero, Ho' s the onl.y ho,y "10 fwd. Ho lost all 0111' boys') Bl'other fhmnson 'W-lS sitting thero n,t', '!",he hen.d of the bed holding hilll e And in IHss t i mo tJwn fifteen mi.nutes :d~ter ho drnnk that to,} he s::l.ld, "Daddy lot... mo get dO\'lnll o Ho sny, "No, t.he floor eold, DAddy don't HRnt. tho hohy got do~m." He say. "Let mo g,,.t. dmm, Dn.ddy, lot me got dOlm." His Daddy put him on tho flom' nnd ho stnrt to too~:t.oo:i.ng ]},'.ek thoro nt that vd.ndm,~ in th(~ livtng 1:'oam and it rum alenn to the ,f11'0plaeo. And ain't hD.d a minutos troublo ~dth his Iddmlys sineo. Nbto: rnnal] omission of about c:d,ghty by counter .. page 28 She's telling me ".bout something YOit !,:ot up out of the trecs in bl1nehes "that YO~l uso some hOH on .YOlJJ~ monthly periodo Shos t,Jlking about nri.stletooo I used to use for a hajj' p:repul'Htion 0 l>1al<o hair dressing out of ito It don't groH on the earth, it grot'ls 1n tbe treo CD. sUo thoy say tlwt' S 1'1h<'3.t Christ I cross 1'J(lS made out of (I They' sald this tI'G0 "Hould noVo' groH in tho e,9.rth any morD. Bflt most peoplo say it Has made out of dogNood, but they toll mo it yms made out of mistletoe troe. That it Nouldn't gpmJ in the o'n'th anymOl'e and it don't gPO\" in tho eepth. It groNs on cel'ta:in troes, it don't gl'oN on just any bt'lH'-ll1istletoe. But nO\'T you see just like dONn horo it's " IlJts of things ptwples used fer d:i.fferent things. Well, He didn't use them up in Luthersville for that, S08 0 Nov" :tt's so"nethin~ dOHn here, HO call it ground pine up home in l'l"rh,ht,.Lher County. And dmm hero thoy calI :1.t du.ck bill, soo, Well no,. tlwt's for your monthly,duck bill. It.' s " bunch of st.uff that. doeGn ''10 gl'oN no highor th"n t,ha,t. And j t.' s got n. J ittle sOll1othi.ng on the end of the leaves tha.t looks just like Il ducl,'s bill. You bo:i.J it Ilnd drinks off :it for body troublo or e:i.ther for your peri ods. If your per'ciods :is too free and you con't get it stopped, you drink off 't.hat and it 'lll~cho()k y,ou up. lIo saj,d tlVAl'yLll'i ng Ho ll1{J.do Has good and evol'yLh:i.ng tlwt gl'o\-U; in tho cc'J.lrLh iti r~o()(L) But no'''' t she WEt s r0l111y a good doctor '1iJOlr)On <) [iho t fl th 0 one that oould put, hol' handn on your stom8,oh and stop you from misca.rrying'! \'fuHt Has it Hhen Rho \\THf; rubbing hnr hBndn'( Sho'd bo stoPFing hfHr10rrf\go", She'd bo Hfllkine; HOY'<X3S tho floor l'ubing h01' hnnd,':; togethor {~_nd you'd see bel" "~9rld_n~ ho'r mouth ... page 29 'Gou don't kno" ,.,hat she'd say. She Has gonna ch~)c1< tll.?:Ltil you got to be normal. !Jer' s a good doctor. She used to ,wve a vino at her f"ont porch, She sa.id the first doctor in Luthersville give hel' thnt. litl1e sprig of vine. That "'lIS to )11,9.ke Homen's tea out of 1rhon carry:'l.Ylg the bHbies G Gi.vo mn somo of them leHves G Hock VirlOthwt,'s Hh"t they call it. She'd give you some of Owl. to lHo.ke you SOliH:: ton rind drink off of it,\rhilo you' S cH:rrying tho baby, And k88p yourself groll sed ,,j th vaseline or homo made lard one dmlrl tho't~and back thero(w.ginal ".rea and buttocks). 'Folks didn't ",wo no trollb1e having b,,,bies but noH it costs you a hundrod dollars to cut 8. cord. And you stil] \ s gonn8. have 8.] 1 ,yoln' j)'dns. And they clelms you up no1'l and that' 5 not healthy. Whwt did you used t.o do? You memwtr8.ted throe 1',eeks 8.ftcr the b8.by Wls born. And just let it "ome on !lnd be dmvn til it be just like pus 'f.,hat COli10 from fllYOU knoVT t soro pl8.ce. All of that- you dra.ined yourself. seo. BuL no", doctors clellns you up. Th~)y can't bui ld onough hospital t.o t"ko CR 1'0 of YOUe Just don't '''',va timo to havo b8.bies. This Hook, next Heok if they vlDnt to go to Europe. they gone. vlhy, honey, u.sed to couldn't Cl'OHS H2,ter ttl your baby WHs six "leeks old. You couldn't <H'OSS no Hat:.. ol' til your baby l:Jas six ,-roeks old .. IVhat \'las Lh!lt llledi.ci ne you ",as tel1:i,ng mo about that vlOuld help you ha,vo eh:i.1dl'on'l Th8.t Has Aunt Henie, Sho'd nlako you S<Wle mocUcino. She didn't tell. Y'ou what it Has:? No, See, I Ylev ol'<'Iould agree to tq,k9 up, y(1). kiJo\'l, ,Lhell' 1.1'1",10,michJlfe, And she didn't OVO:'- tell lne,norw of t.lmt, But they usod to havo Hhnt yol) enll thi 13 old syphil1ls, old bad dl"en"e. Aunt Honie eured a "'Bny of thmrJ. Sho told 100 hOH but I forgot. pago )0 Sho loarned me hOH to ",ako bolO IhrLwmts ,and I forgot that. This Hhito lin:ilnont t/ilat you buy; sho loarnod mo ho", to make that. Take "Iidt of ogg IJ.nd vinogRr and so mO.ny l\1rts of' rod pepper and I don't kno", ",hat all. And she lell.rnod me h01'I to mnko another linj ment. And you put ga.s~" ,just a J :lttlo bit of glnwlino, l'ed pOppOl:'. I don't k"OH just. 8. hemp of junk. I made it sinet) I lived h01'0 but I done fOl:'got it n01'I. Is sho still alive? No, lived to get a hundred 8.nd til,'ee. That a:in't bad. I got. an auntie thnt.'IJ bo a hundred and five if shEl livo to BElEl August. H,9.VEl you heard of drinking pine top toa to keep from getting pregnant. Sm'" ain't. Viall, you knoH, you knows ono thing for onn thing Hnd I knoHs it fo1" 8.nother~ sOOt) NON I knOl</ it's foY' b8.d eolds. I knot'! it'l knoek a bad oold. You can put you some,) lllullon i.n therH" .lou enn boLl somo mullen in :i:l:.o Mulle:n and pine top ten and rrl1Jbit toh':'l.CCO~ And, buddy, it']] go get IJ eold. But no\'l you soO 0Y' o.h othm' peoplo knoHs it. for anothor remedy .. t.o keop fl:'om gotting pregnantu Vloll, a,J J I kn(Jt!ed ",hen I HfJ S be:i ng prerTlO.nt, t.hey say just. get up aft.er everything happened Il.nd Gelt over your slop jar ;).nd~ you kno\'l~ strain daHn and. ovoY'yt,hing 1'1ou1<1 {k'J. I,r; b;YQ But nol'l thb here hirt.b eonl.l'o] p") 1" , T novor he[trod te]]. of that rrlesSQ I'm glad T didn't }1robn.l)ly I might. D.. dono t}wtQ And I think it's a sin to koep fy'om do:'l nr; 1'lfJnt:. God dono DJl'oHdy t.oJd you to do ~ And tlvd~' r; Hhy- it t !-, so wfl.ny uno._lei nd.~::J,.~ \'wmcmll ~ So mn.ny of Lhem don't -~'nlnL to b['eed~ And n, 101,11 of um 1 nTf I WHIt tHO eh:iJ.dl'on, I llllvo brn; :if T "1.".\1'1. thl'oo, I hnve throo; 1(0 ought to broed.. And you ought to hp(KJd. y'our full numbo:t,,\> You. brend yom~ fllll YlllHlbor 1 you'll be h()nltJIY~ NOH just think "bout .l'olm Henloy. the mo.n Uw.t o:i'gn.ni 7,("l Lho !'Iethed! st Chul'eh" lID w'" Lho fj ftoonLh ohi Id of tho n i nI.ooil "h:Lldl'(JrJ. But folkr; <vln'l.. hnvo fiftoon eb,ildron ,no"t'lo Hon,r vm rw.y t.ho;}' (~:Hltjt support 11m" And t.h8J'O'S 1110)"0 nlOnoy in tho NOl'Jd thnn t.horo OVOl" hns heonfl But they o.on't support ol,ild,'on. 11:",<1 to r;uprod; Ulll on milk you u~3ocl to flOllldn't cat on Sund:~yoil And tJ()\'J folkn p "too oxpens:ivn llith chi] dl'on, I enjoyed nJi.no; I 1'tJ:i.809 llri no: I rea] ly enjoyed Hnl o I 8111'0 <ltd" I onJoyod. m;y elY'llrll'on<l np h ("ll'O [I.t. Moundsvillo" And my l?n.tll or p h (1 l,'TrJ r, born [l ncl loll.reid I think, :r l'oekon, I don't kn01'" It nltJy bo in Horl.Hhc",thOl' .for all I kn01'!(I JJut as fnr tlS thoy" coming hOPA .from norM) ot.her nOllntl'Y 0):' ~)()mOULi.ng 1:1.ko- thn.t '" I fl1im't novo:t' heard nothing liko thcd:. hll I knoH Gl'lmclm1J jV"""y "nd thol\l Iivod {lround one livo '1 n C.'tJ'l'olto:n ,'1nd. ono livo in Nm'llV~l1Q Di.d yoH ovnl' anytJdng (ll,olrL ~:;()1rlothirlC; fo1' t,'d{:'Lng orf '),'ll'ts nnrl. somoth-'l :ng fOl' styn nnd. llltd.." ld'rnd of ttd.ng? I honl' }looplo , IC;t III TnfoI'IlIA.nt: 11J~s, Lottio Copeland Pirls :r.1ountHin ~ Ga Q IhpList Hill ConmnmHy I asked thclm 1'lho had lived hfll'o .1. lone; time), Who Hould knol'l somBthihe; n..bout Pino Hount,9.in. I shoI'(c) is, All Lho athel's gone on to judgemontll Y;ou k1101'1, I'm going on up yondC}l~\lt I'm just, liviYlg on S(YnJ0body 0180' s t.imo., I wO,s born in 1886. Way back long ae;o did you folks como from ".ny pln.co bc~[~i_do[) herB? I don't anything .1. bout that \1hen 1'13 born$! p" born dOvHl he)'(l at HasU.ne;'s m:i1l , And that'" an I kno\'le And I beon liv'. ne; a)'onnd hero aD my d.oys, j'IY grandmothor- sho eOl"rJe Nith the Kf-JY"13 family 1;1 Thoy' s ~;elJj n um out., Sho' n :i n that, old time ''{<1Hl'' undol' 1,lnvory~ And you s'l.,V th"t your folks livod d01'ln on tho Ha.wLJ ngs' plaeo'! yEs mlJ.n1 1l vlhat thoy do dONn t,h(:n~e? Ii'rtrm" Plo,nt cotton, eOY'n ll,n;y. thing that COnlO t,o h:Jnd" I hnve n:tl'oHcd gu.,tl.na hind l.hxoo ploh"s <) I'vo I'Io:rkod "wsBlf to dOHth ,.from a ehild up, And j t didn't Hnymoro mD.ko no dJ ffeY'enee to me to go to field fmd pick cottonpiek three hundN)d pounds of eotton o. dH.y than nothJ nr;, My husband ,,,ould pick OVO)' foul' hund)'ed pOltnds of "otton onough to mako out mo pJ ok rom' hundred pounds of cott,on, He '('1Ou1d pink Gnough oVel' fOlH' hu'Ocl'red pounds to lWJke ont nw four' hundred pounds. Wo:.\ pick olght. hundred pounds of ootton "- dRy. Fo1kH nri.ghi,,\,bnliove it but, '(-10 did$ OVQl~ 1'0111"' hundred pOlrnds, did you got, E;orno lllonny for th:d','? l:In \-!on't got nothtng r:'O'f' ttu He!::; gottJng tJ bout, fift,Y (~(mt~) .'1 lrnndl'Gd 01" tll"i rt;y.,-flvo cents p9.ge 2 1001< at it so hard nnd hOH I d:i d Hork hard and didn't got noth:i ng for my In.'bor.. But tho Lord jurrt ron.do ,'1 HHY' fop fllel ~ N'oH if tho Lord ,wdn't had a hand n.n th'", ,,11 those older poop'lo Hould he dO."1.d and gone '" HOI" did yo'll "'",d t'l',f:i" uPcpoopl f) Hhen they Horo s:i.ck1 Ytru. moa):) mod.ieines '( Get seurry e;:rtlSS (broaks into laughter) Q and o.h c:'.stor oil Hnd bonr)sod. And I'm gonna tell yon. vlhon you hn-vo a cold. lOy 1"l'amn used to go and hfJ.vo a snck n.nd gother her bonosed before Lho front fan on it<t And h" ng :it np "in the houno. And tho f:il'st d".y of Y",.reh, nho'd enlI us all ,9.nd givo us fl dose of oil e And, ;you knoVJ g 'He novor Nfl-S slnk<ll fl1hnt Wl.S sprjne; modic:inc0 Hhat "'HE> tho nLuff th,~,t "1D.S hAnging f}'om the nailing? That WlS bono,wd. \vhl1.t:i s it'l Honey, that HHS somoth.i.ng that Cl'mr" in the nvmmp,that you lw.vo to, buy. It's just as bitter as carlliw. And scurry' crass, you tHke th"t,- you ge,LT-J :it in tho Hoods, and boils it and you s('1Oohm :i:t, And that's Hh"t you keep yoursolf eleaned out Hith throngh. the nprlngo And that stuff HOJ'k yon just l1ko anyth1nc. You half0 to l'un to the outhouse all tjnllh 'rhHt' n Lho truth. Or to Lho Hoods ono- thoy Houldu't no outn1do houso than. You go to the Hoods. Honoy, I'!11 gonna tell you. Nb\'1 Hha.t I'm ,my:i ng 'is "that I como through 1-Jith e VJh:'-J,t did. yn. '11 uS(3d t(~ do for colds and thine::; 1 ik" that? Nmr, thllt' ,; ",hat I'm t"ll-i ng you. Bbnosod and SCU1~l:'Y gPllS1:-1 and l'nbhi:L tolm,cc('J, 'fhnt' S HhD,t He hn,cL.. He kno'?f not})ing :,l.hout doctors" R8.bb:it tobacco HIl,: foY' colds too? Rn.bbit tobn.nco ,ra8 so good th:1t "rhon people hlni the 14.sthn",. And that l'nbb:i t toba""o il.'J good for the fJ.sthlll:J., Bl.lf. that scurry grass, You get full of oold, t,h".t Hould brefJ.k up that stuff. Work you just like oil. Gripe you tooe NON these hero oldel' poople. NON if you had thG head Hohe, you make a tea in tho night And to.kG it, it'll f\~SS off. A toas out of 80moof them hel'hs you e;et out of tho sNamp. Nost overything you get out of tho s,"amp. NOH that thol'o bonsod como fOl'm the sWlmp, Ul8.t scurl'y e;rass from the "Ioods, that ra.bbit tobacco and yea. He used ot :Lako mullen tela. Tha.;t's fol' colds too, Looks just like e;l'een tolna.cco. Has there anythings tha.t Nas good to t".ko off I-/(ll'tS? NOI", I tell you all I knoN. All I knot" they said_no tlwt' s a sty on yOUl' eye. All I knoN a.bout that if a sty nome on yoUl' eye- abump como on thero and you can't seo good. Thoy say go to somebody's houso and steal they dishrag. And got to fork of the road and say, "Sty, sty, leave my eye. Fly to the east, Fly to the Host" and say tlwt sty leave it. 1'1011 He havo eli d it and \"0 didn't ha.ve to go no doctor fol' nothing like thll.t. But 1\ ,,'art. I had a Hnrt right thero. I remember a \1art. I don't knoH Hhat it WIS. It \18 S somo silly something you got Uwm off Hith, I since I got gro"m \"0 havo moles or somothing like that. I knoH Hha t \10 do for that but I just a:in't got tho. t on my mind. Was it somo kind of Hometh i ng you 8H id to t,"l,k(~ t.l](~ lmrt off'/ I don't "ant ot toll you somoth:i.ng I dQn't know . I oan't got:it stl'Rj.ght~ I no" it Has on thot angol' and it Hin tt., there nO\'lo /1'1 p",ge 4 That's just fo,ith. Folks lwd faith, they had faith. They ain't got no faith in DlOthing novr but telovision und running from bal) game to ba1] game and courting. 1Jhey done more forget God's church. It's just aHful. You can't hardly get enough th"re to run Sunday School. ]} tell you the truth. That's something ov"rygody ought to' think about- J'"sus. He th" causa of us here. You could b" stricken dOim at It moment. I just pr'A,isfl to him so I don't knoH Hh"re I'm going,Hh"n I l"ave this Horld but I'm shol~e trying to trllst in thn good Lord,Hhnrn I can go to "- plB-cn of rest. If Ne go to rest, liTe 1s in torment hnre but Lord, thny sO,y it's so much 1<)Drsn. I heard um ssy onea thB-t ", man dind onceone of the prophets. I think :it Has Abraham. I can't get it together. But anyHA,y it vms his broth"r. He ",as a old mD,njust donn give out. He Hou1d- go around to the') houso Hho,.<1 th"s<1 rioh folks hAv" soemthing to OB-t, you know. and crm,r1 apound and thoy'd scorn him- IlJ.Zj.rllS,.. 'I:.hats Hho he VJ:J.G" Thoy didn't approvo of him- he's too poor. SB-id he vm,s just as hlunble as he cOH1d boo 'rhe othor ono- I>1h1\t his name? What vra s tho first no,me I told you~ Abraham, Abraham diod and LazIlrius' died. l,'.z,o.rius had his biLter and m"oot hEll'O on the earth, SO ho vJOnt on to h"avon. Abr"hmn Hhcon hco died ho Hont to, hco11. Ho ",skcd Hm "Tell my b,'othcor in yond01' vlOrld, don't como herco ",horo I am. :ram as tossed v1ith f:i.l'E) and brimstone" 1\ Give me tjust H tenspooYl full of wl,tor to cool my p'J,rohing tongHe. Hono,Y it's 09.",ful, I'm gonna t~te1] you tho truth. Th:ihk abol\t HO got to dio. !J8,ge 5 You knoH if He lmve fJ, :I ittle bllrn on 0111' honds, i:t hurts us so bad. Think about He c;ot to dio and live in hall, bo bm'nt "lith f'i re. And thoy s"'y this here fil'e,~ th" 'I'. fire in hel] is so, many do[(rees hotter. Said it's ton tilllesjust burning, just burning, just burning. Honey, I'm gonna tell you the truth. I just talk to him so muoh. I taU him "Lord, don't get Rngl'y Hith mo." He's my fJi,iend. I ain't got a child, nobody but just tHO sisters and I got some nieces. I'm just here in this Her1d alene depending eh hi,m. I just ask him te keep his arm thrmeed areund me. 'Teach mo "rh"t you "rou1d have me te do tho right thing. GuIdE me, guide my tengue , guIde my mind. Don ''0 let nothing t9.nb1e my feets. I "mnes to ge to rest "'hen I'm done In this ,"arId. To 9. pla,ce ,'rhere it's ahrays "HmoJdy" and never "Goedby". They say drInking all that goed milk, Aleng in thlJm Jl'w ha:ir struok me days you 'nrT' d""m",!'nd hear of folks Nrapping theIr hatr'l ",hen you N1'ap it, yeu knBl'1 that makes it longer, Than that "'hite string Hould be en my head. And Hiss Ellli, my :beacher, teld me, "Y!lU better not ever ceme eo schea1 messed up \<lith yeur head like thaL" And so the next 110nday morn:\ng I got my cousin te Hrap it up. She just had the ~rraps and it "Ws Hay clmoJrl herHe You seC? y-on get stoekings and ravel urn and 'bnll it en a baU and just "'rap it. So l~iss Elli stHJ me corne in the school ropm th:'l,t morning. She come thor0~ "Didn't I toll ,you not te oomo huok ho"o Hith yom' he,ir H,,",ppod a n,ymor 0 " II She unHro.p my- hn:i.I' pie;ht thol'O", N9, she dichl't 1-1k(-) it '>Jrapped. "You ought to bo "shamEld of yoursolf. And: you,,' '16 page 6 mother OUf"ht to boen asha.med of her'self letting yuu cae to sehool ''lith your [wir "rapped. Got good hah' ".nd got. al] them old strings on it." She took um off. You didn't have no 1oJeddlng. You knm'l hOH you mnryiE1d in them dHyS'( Step across a broom EI.Yld you 11lHrriocL, ]'.'~r Mr:'\nJH najd my qr"tndmHma has laid :1.n the a.sh hoppe'1r 8,1] day long t.o keep them "pattios" from getting her. And they done boughtth" se Keys_ and brought over' here from another country. Bought "hat'I Colored peopl" and brought over in this countl'y, And the lllan Hhat bought um~ you noo, this He') s his country (0 It 1'JaS the U.me of slave Ullte and he Drought them tc","his country. Well, n01'] tlwt' f) 'Hho ;yOH Hfmt in the name of <lI And mdd they have hogs IJnd thcy had IJ. boss. And theW'Il have hogs oul', there Hnd they go, out thero and s] ip out Ilt night ""d kill ono, of those> hog,;. And sit thero Hnd bako thollt hogs in tbe>1ll hig ovons. And:ii' tho bosn cateh UIll noVl, (JlOY ShOl'O "ill Hhip Ullt. They' just. "i 11 boat um up.. And somotimes you had H good 'vIhlte folks and ~;rd.d. you'lJ hfJVO o'l. good hoYrlo... Y'ou hud rJ. hrn'd ti"fl](h A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.