Read American Voudou: Journey Into a Hidden World Online

Authors: Rod Davis

Tags: #Body; Mind & Spirit, #General, #Religion, #Ethnic & Tribal, #Social Science, #Ethnic Studies, #African American Studies, #test

American Voudou: Journey Into a Hidden World (14 page)

BOOK: American Voudou: Journey Into a Hidden World
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Page 85
Lionel listened closely. He'd been right, after all, to make records. Perhaps the family cures
could
be traced back to Africa. I wasn't sure where all the threads lay myself, but I copied several prescriptions from Lionel's notebook. Some reminded me of things I'd heard Lorita administer, and others were similar to what I'd hear later:
For headache: work salt and vinegar into a cloth, heat it, put it on your head and lie down.
Measles: drink sassafras tea.
Pneumonia: make a tea from whitened dog manure.
Fever blister: rub it with wax from your ear.
Ear ache: Get "Steen" syrup (a local brand), warm it on a spoon, and put drops into your ear.
Diarrhea: Boil rice and drink the water. Do the same for food poisoning. Occasionally drinking cream of tartar in your water will also help reduce the problem. (Diarrhea remedies are common and were important in the South. The malady was widespread because of the squalid conditions on plantations; the resultant dehydration frequently led to death, especially in children. It is the world's leading killer of children today).
Excessive menstrual bleeding: boil roots of elder plant into a tea. Also for vaginal discharge or infection.
BOOK: American Voudou: Journey Into a Hidden World
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