Black families developed a support network and used remedies handed down through their families to maintain good health and treat acute illnesses. Although access to medical care in urban areas has improved over the years with the institution of medical insurance and other services, many black families continue to rely on folk remedies to treat minor illnesses affecting themselves and their children.

In a recent conversation with my wife, I mentioned to her about those old home remedies that our parents used…to get us well…”Save-the-baby”…”Castor oil”…” Epsom salts”…She also told me they used “Snuff” or “Tobacco” to put on those bee stings…”Vaseline”…I laugh when we talked about someone in the neighborhood could actually “Talk the fire out” of a burn…we used butter also on burns…”Vick’s salve” on that warm rag that was actually “hot” and we slept on it…”Copper bracelet” for arthritis…I hope others will talk about these remedies, with was an absolute part and critical part of our culture…Folk remedies are still used in the black community, and these remedies have been handed down through generations….

Rock candy and whiskey – are used to treat a cold…Red vinegar – good for high blood pressure and muscle cramps…666 and a stick of chewing gum – to treat a cold…A spoonful of mustard – is also good for high blood pressure…Bathe in warm water with Epson salts – good for a rash…red bugs, and swelling…We’d brush our teeth with a little bit of soda…Boil an onion to make onion tea. Feed this to a baby for colic…When someone in a household had the flu, cut onions in half and place halves in every room of the house…nobody else in the house would come down with the flu…At least twice a year, parents would line up the youngins and give them each a spoonful of 666 and a spoonful of castor oil…believe me, it worked faster than an enema…A sore throat was treated by swallowing a spoonful of sugar with 2 drops of turpentine on it…There are many, many more, but I will stop right here and yield to others…Rev. Earnest Mason

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