Blind Pig & The Acorn

Pulling Teeth In Appalachia

 

Worse than all the old cures mentioned in the toothache post-was the process of pulling the aching tooth or jumping the tooth.

Jumping the tooth-involved placing a chisel or other metal object at the base of the hurting tooth-just under the gum line. While holding the chisel in place-the tooth jumper took a hammer and gave it a good hard tap. If it was successful tap-the tooth jumped out of it's hole.

The process of jumping the tooth sounds so horrible it makes you wonder why anyone would even attempt the method. But if you've ever had a dentist pull a tooth that didn't want to come out (I have) you can kinda see how difficult it would be to pull someone's tooth that hadn't had a shot of Novocaine to numb the pain. Maybe that's where the jumping part came in-after trying to pull a tooth that wouldn't come out. Here is an excerpt on tooth jumping from John Parris in These Storied Mountains:

But them that really knowed how to tooth-jump could pop a tooth out of a feller's head before you could wink an eye. It was just that quick. It had to be. If one lick didn't jump the tooth out it was all-night-ice-'em. For if the tooth didn't come out with that first lick a feller just went plumb crazy and had to be hog tied till the job was finished.

Just as there were folks known for tooth jumping, there were folks known as good tooth pullers. Patti commented on the toothache post: "Every settlement had a blacksmith because he was a very useful member. The blacksmith was also a dentist and he had only one cure for a toothache. He pulled out the tooth that hurt."

Folks would travel miles to get their aching teeth pulled. Matthew Burns said his father is still the go to guy for pulling teeth in his neck of the woods. His tool of choice-needle nose pliers.

While thinking of pulling or jumping teeth without numbing it, is hard to fathom-I do know if you had a severe toothache eventually you'd be willing for someone to help you know matter how bad it hurt.

When Pap was about 13 years old he had a toothache-a bad one that kept him up at night. One early morning-just after dawn he decided to get up because of the pain. He quietly slipped out of the house and headed over the mountain to see his Grandpa and Grandma. As he reached their house the sun was coming up.  Pap's Grandpa said the only way to fix the tooth was to pull it. He got a pair of pliers and tried to pull Pap's tooth. Pap said the tooth just wouldn't budge-but the pain was so bad he couldn't stand it. They had an old sliver of mirror hanging outside where you could see to shave or comb your hair. Grandpa was afraid he'd hurt Pap if he pulled anymore-so Pap decided he'd pull it himself. He got the pliers around the tooth while looking in the mirror. Pap pulled as hard as he could-as long as could-which wasn't long cause he passed out cold from the pain. His Grandpa and Grandma decided they didn't care what it took they were going to get this boy to the dentist-and they did. The dentist pulled the tooth-and that ended the pain.

Ever heard of tooth jumping?

Tipper

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What To Do For A Toothache

Ever have a toothache? In my opinion, a toothache is one of the most aggravating and painful problems to have. Lucky for folks today relief is usually just a phone call away.

Back in the day-things were a little different. Dentists weren't plentiful, it was hard to get into town to see one, and even if you could-you might not have the money needed to pay the bill. As with most ailments-there are tons of old medicinal remedies for toothaches in Appalachia-I've even tried a few myself.

A few years ago, I had a severe toothache. I kept taking pain medication and putting off going to the Dentist. One night when the the pain was pretty bad, Pap told me to take peroxide and swish it around in my mouth-then take a toothbrush and dip it in the peroxide and brush the tooth as hard as I could-all around it. Well desperate as I was-I did what Pap said. Honestly-for about 15-20 minutes I thought I was going to pass out from the pain-it was almost unbearable-but after about 25 minutes it eased off and actually quit hurting.

Appalachian Toothache Remedies:

• hold liquor in the mouth for several minutes-then swallow
• chew ragweed leaves
• put cinnamon oil on the tooth
• put clove oil on the tooth (I tried this one-couldn't really tell that it helped)
• put persimmon juice on the tooth
• place a piece of cloth soaked in kerosene on the tooth
• hold a warm bag of ashes, salt, or water on the cheek (I've tried this with a hot water bottle-it seemed to help a little)
• if the cavity is deep in the tooth-the hole can be stuffed with soda, spider webs, aspirin, alum-that was burned, cow manure, or salt

Now for the really crazy ones:

• take a splinter/piece of a tree that has been struck by lightning and pick the cavity
• get up before sunrise each morning and say a Bible verse for 3 days
• make a hole in a tree trunk a little higher than the toothache sufferers head-cut a piece of their hair and place it in the hole and plug up the hole

Prevention tips:

• carry a hog's head bone in your pocket
• always put your left shoe on first
• wear nutmeg around your neck
• always cut your fingernails on Friday
• never cut your fingernails on Friday

Ever tried any home remedies for a toothache?

Drop back by in the next few days to read about tooth pulling-it'll make you cringe-or in Pap's case pass out.

Tipper

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The Blackberry

 

Blackberry picking time is almost here-the berries are still green on the brambles around my house-but before long they'll be turning that luscious deep dark black color.

Folklore surrounding Blackberries I've heard all my life...

 

Blackberry Winter- a cold snap occurs each spring about the same time the Blackberry Blossoms appear. Happened this spring just like it always does. (kinda like our Dogwood Winter) Medicinal Remedies- Blackberries or Blackberry juice is supposed to help any kind of stomach aliment-diarrhea, dysentery, ulcers. The roots and leaves of the Blackberry are used to make a tea which is said to relieve sore throats, thrush in babies, mouth ulcers and gum irritations.

This morning I Googled Blackberry and found the following info-which totally surprised me.

*Blackberry is often called Bramble in other countries

*Blackberry briars are thought to protect your house from evil-especially from Vampires. Seems if you put the briars around your doors and windows-the Vampires can't cross over without first counting all the briars-which if your familiar with Blackberries, you know is almost impossible. (makes me wonder if the idea for The Count on Sesame Street came from this piece of folklore.)

*Native Americans used Blackberry stems to make rope/twine.

*Some folks think the Crown of Thorns was made from Blackberry Briars-and the berry itself is so dark to symbolize Christ's Blood.

*Some folks think when the Devil was cast from heaven-he fell into a Blackberry patch and therefore the fruit is cursed-and it's black because the Devil spit on it.

 

The eating is what I enjoy most about Blackberries-but coming in a close second is hearing them. Yes, I said hearing them-give this week's Pickin' & Grinnin' In The Kitchen Spot a listen and you'll see exactly what I mean-the tune-Blackberry Blossom-is so catchy you'll find yourself humming it for the rest of the day. (don't forget to stop the player in the top right corner of this page)

Hope you enjoyed the Blackberry lore-and the outstanding picking by Paul and Mandolin Man.

Do you like Blackberries?

Tipper

Economic Downturn Causes A Resurgence In Old Time Ways

Over the past few days we've been discussing how reusing, repurposing, and recycling can be good for the environment-and good for the pocket book. The downturn in the economy has caused a need for thriftiness in most households-which has resulted in a resurgence of lifestyles that hearken from an earlier time.

 

The "backyard chicken" phenomenon is on the rise across the nation. Amazing how many urban dwellers are now raising chickens in their backyards. Frequently they have to petition the local government before acquiring the chickens-and frequently they win the battle due to the sheer number of folks who are exercising their right to have and raise chickens on their own property. (click here to read more about the issue)

 

Hanging clothes out to dry is on the rise among home owners. Two factors are contributing to the increase-the first needing to be "green" for the environment-hanging out your clothes saves on energy-therefore reducing the need to produce energy. The second reason-folks are trying to lower their energy bill. I grew up with a clothesline mentality-it was just something you did-hang the clothes out to dry. I also grew up without air conditioning. With the clothes dryer located in the kitchen-drying loads of clothes = an unbearable hot house. So hanging clothes out for us was a no-brainer, save money and have a cooler house.

 

Sadly the economic downturn has forced many people to cutback on health care. Many folks are trying to treat their aliments at home, to save money by skipping the doc visit and the prescriptions that often follow. Here at the Blind Pig-I've seen an increase in folks visiting my site to read about Appalachian Medicinal Remedies. Although I don't know for sure-I believe the increase in traffic is due to folk's interest in treating their illnesses at home-just like it was done back in the day. (to read more about the health care issue go here)

 

The Horticultural Industry-is one of the few sectors of our economy that is BOOMING. Seeds, plants, and other gardening related items have seen an increase in sales-in some case up 40% in the last year-pretty impressive given the decrease in other retail sales. As folks worry about the economy-and the rising price of food, more and more people are planting vegetables as a way to put food on the table for their families. Even folks like me-who were already gardening and preserving before the downturn-are planting a little extra-and planning on preserving a little extra too. The Deer Hunter and I figure-if we need it we'll have it-if we don't need it we will share it with someone who does. (to read more about this issue go here)

The economic downturn has also increased the amount of meals folks cook and eat at home. We hardly ever eat out-so that hasn't been an issue for us. But we have tried to cut back on expenses in other areas-*we switched over to compact fluorescent lightbulbs-and have seen our electric bill go down *planted a larger garden than usual so we can preserve more food for the coming year *tried to eat out of our pantry instead of buying additional groceries *quit giving the girls spending money *made a greater effort to make do with what we have and quit worrying about what we don't have.

So how about you-has the economic downturn caused you to go back to the old time ways? Has the downturn caused you to make lifestyle changes?

Tipper

p.s. Drop back by for the next post-to see how the economic downturn has effected entertainment.

Medicinal Remedies From Appalachia

 

As far as sickness goes-last winter was the worst we've had since the girls started school. Illnesses started before Christmas and lasted clean till May. Chitter and Chatter had strep throat about 5 times between them-of course they never had it simultaneously-you know when just one of those expensive tests would have been enough to prescribe medication for both of them-no they had it individually, usually a few weeks to a  month apart.

So far this winter we've missed out on the sickness-well everyone but me. Apparently during all the Breaking Up Christmas and New Year's Contra Dancing I caught something. Something that will not go away. Coughing, sneezing, wheezing-folks around here call it the crud. Not sick enough to warrant a doctor visit-just enough to make you feel miserable.

Many parts of Appalachia are off the beaten path-and in years past that sometimes meant going to see a Doctor wasn't an option even if it was needed. But people did get sick and did need help-this led to many "home remedies" being used. A few old remedies:

 

For Chest Congestion:

• Place rock candy in a little whiskey to make a thick syrup-drink a few spoonfuls several times a day
• Make an onion poultice by roasting an onion-wrap it in a cloth-beat it until the juice soaks the cloth-then apply cloth to chest. (Pap's grandmother swore onions were the key to good health-she ate one everyday)
• Render the fat from a polecat-eat two or three spoonfuls to bring up phlegm (I'm afraid that would bring up more than phlegm)
• Take a flannel shirt and soak it with turpentine and lard-then wear it all winter (your family might make you live in the barn)

 

For Colds:

• Boil pine needles to make a strong tea
• Eat a mixture of honey and vinegar
• Eat onions roasted in ashes
• Suck salty water up your nose (the Deer Hunter does this even when he's not sick-he claims it makes it easier to breathe)

 

For Coughs:

• Mix one teaspoon of white whiskey with a pinch of sugar-heat over a fire-and drink
• Mix ground ginger with sugar-put on tongue just before bedtime to stop cough
• Mix honey in hot tea and drink
• Dissolve four sticks of horehound candy in a pint of liquor and take a couple of spoonfuls

 

For Sorethroats

• Bake onions in fireplace and tie around your throat
• Gargle with honey and vinegar
• Gargle with warm salt water (Pap always made me do this when I was sick as a kid)
• Take a sock a man has worn for a week of working and tie it around your neck (oh my)
• To burn tonsils out paint them several times a day with iodine and turpentine (folks thought if you didn't have tonsils-it would cut down illnesses-kinda like having your tonsils removed today does. I've had some older folks tell me they don't have any tonsils-because they wasted away from being sick as a child.)

 

For The Flu

• Boil 2 roots of wild ginger in a cup of water-strain and drink
• Drink some of the brine from Kraut-it makes you thirsty and you drink lots of water-washing the sickness away

Anyone who has ever spent a sleepless night with a sick child, knows how helpless you feel. Imagine how you'd feel without modern medicine-no antibiotics, no fever/pain reducers to ease their suffering. I imagine the "homemade remedies" the old folks came up with made them feel less helpless-made them feel like they were at least making an effort-made them feel like they had something to believe in-a hope in getting their loved ones better.

It's funny to read through the old remedies-but some of them are not that far off from todays medicine. Many many of them include whiskey or liquor-but have you ever read how much alcohol is in cough/cold medicines-a lot. And Doctors today still suggest you drink warm tea with honey. I believe through trial and error past generations helped point modern medicine in the right direction.

Hope you'll leave me a comment and tell me if you have ever used any of the remedies.

Tipper

p.s. I used The Foxfire Book for reference.

Appalachian Medicine

Appalachia is a haven for superstitions, wives tails, and down right kooky advice on the subject of medicine. From putting an ax under the bed of a sick person to cut the pain, to gargling something as poison as kerosene to burn out your tonsils. The medical folklore ranges from helpful to dangerous.

However, I do think it is interesting to see what was used before modern medicine took over. Especially fascinating to me-the plants used in the remedies that grow in my yard.

This is Bloodroot, one of my favorite wildflowers. The small Daisey like flowers appear first, then seemingly over night all the petals fall off. A few days later the leaves appear. The leaves are fairly large and scalloped-I think the leaves are as pretty as the white flowers.

You can see the reddish orange juice that is in the stems and roots. The juice was placed on a lump of sugar and used as a cough drop. The roots, sometimes called "she-roots", were dried and ground into a powder to be used for female ailments, burns, coughs and colds.

The first spring after The Deer Hunter and I moved into our house, Pap and I went up the creek and got several little hemlocks to plant in my yard. This is the lone survivor of that day 11 years ago. The tree is over 12 foot tall now.

Hemlock needles were brewed to make a tea for treating coughs and colds.

This is Trailing Arbutus it grows along the bank behind my house. In the spring it has tiny white pink flowers that smell amazing and literally perfume the whole yard. The leaves were used to make a tea to aide in relieving kidney stones.

Wild Violets grow everywhere around my house, in the yard, in the woods and even in the rocks. A very prolific wildflower.

The roots were used to make a tea which was used as a fever reducer.

Some of the more wacky cures I've heard of:

Spider webs could be used to stop bleeding or swallowed for asthma

For feet cramps turn shoes upside down before going to sleep

To remove a sty from your eye-rub a black cats tail over it

For a headache- tie a flour sack over your head (for some reason I have the urge to try that one), or bury your hair after your next hair cut and you'll never have a headache again

For a black widow spider bite drink liquor heavily from 3 p.m. till 7 p.m. (alright- can't you just imagine who came up with that one)

I hope you enjoyed reading about some of Appalachia's medical folklore. All though I am a native Appalachian, I wouldn't even know where to begin with most of the remedies. If you decide to try any of them, please proceed with caution and do some research of your own.

I'm sure you have used some type of home remedy for an ailment or maybe your grandparents did. Please leave a comment I'd love to hear about it.

Tipper

p.s. My research came from The Foxfire series number 1 & 11.