The Kingdom of Ozark Tracker

[litl rooster]

about all the bags I've ever seen were those old cotton tobacco pouches,  usually just a string tied around the neck.

Repeat what Trinity said..............

Was this some Vodoo ritual, mid evil medicene.............Still ain't never heard of them......

[Trinity]

Repeat what Trinity said..............

Was this some Vodoo ritual, mid evil medicene.............Still ain't never heard of them......

Sounds like it.   You got tobacco pouches, strings, smelly stuff...  A Voodoo ritual southern style.

[Ozark Tracker]

OH!

I never did have to wear one but I knew several who did,  it was supposed to something to keep you (the wearer) from getting colds, flu, almost anythng.  their mothers would mix up what ever it was and tie it with a string around their necks.

they'd recharge it ever few days in the winter time to keep the germs from getting to em.

like I said the ones I've seen smelled so bad, you didn't want to go near the kid who was wearing it.

so I guess in a way it kept the germs away.

[litl rooster]

mebbe Slim could move this over to the Frontier rememdies

[Trinity]

    I have never heard of that.  Sounds like it's time to call my mother to see if she's heard of it.

[Ozark Tracker]

I don't know where all this was used but I grew up in Oklahoma and I've heard people talk about it over here in Arkansas and Missouri.  and Darchangel knew what the name of it was,

could'a been a regional thing

where'd  your mother grow up?

[Trinity]

Mostly in Virginny, but she was borned in Nofe Car'liner.

I just found the following:

Folk Medicine. Assafidity Bag - a bag of leather worn around the neck by Ozark children, to keep them from catching colds, fever, flu, etc. The bag was filled with a foul-smelling substance.

Here in the wilds of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, old timers still talk about their childhoods with parents making them wear little bags of herbs around their necks to ward off illness. It's pronounced "assafidity" hereabouts and the one constant observation is that the bags and therefore the kids smelled bad. One man told me about his little one-room school "where you couldn't hardly breathe for sinning against your lungs..."

Camp Butler
Sept. 16th 1861
Dear Bet,
    As I have a good chance of sending a letter, I'll drop you a few lines.  It is very hot here.  It seems as if everything will suffocate with dust and heat and not a bit of use to try to keep clean.  If you have any cahance to send to Darlington, get me some dark colored cloth and make me a couple of shirts, for they won't cost as much as a two weeks washing.  We have to pay 5 cents a garment from the smallest.
    Bet, I do declare to you I forgot to leave that money you asked me for and have got some change in bills which you will find enclosed.  I have got well of my cold and rheumatism, but am suffering with a corn on my toe and a big boil on my cheek right under my left eye, which has nearly closed it up.  It has run a little today and the swelling has stopped, but not suaged yet.
    Lieut. Commander is quited sick today.  He thinks he has measles (secret, but I think it is drinking mean whiskey and asofoedita together).
    Our Col. Jones has come at last.  Got here about two hours ago.  He looks like a stirring old fellow.  It is talk in camp that we will have to move down to Summerville, near Charleston, and I hope it ain't so for they say it is a very sickly place down there.
    Bet, I want to hear from home very bad.  This is the 3rd or 4th letter I have written and can't hear a word.  I hop to get a letter when those other fellow come.  We look for them tonight.  I hope they will bring a little corn meal for me, for if I ever hated anything in the world it is flour and rice the way we get it to eat here.
    The drum will soon beat for drill and I must close my letter.  I hope I will soon see you all, if I can get a chance.  I don't know when that will be.
    Give my love to inquiring friends and receive the same for yourself.  I remain as ever your

Sid

    Tell the kids Papa can't send them anything but howdy.

[Ozark Tracker]

they are't lying when they say it was a stinky little bag.  I can remember kids wearing them when I was in grade school up till about the 5th maybe 6th grade,  then they just kinda dissappeared, 
I guess people started using something else or nothing at all, but I don't remember seeing any after that.

or maybe the EPA was established,

I started 1st. grade in 1957

[Trinity]

they are't lying when they say it was a stinky little bag.  I can remember kids wearing them when I was in grade school up till about the 5th maybe 6th grade,  then they just kinda dissappeared, 
I guess people started using something else or nothing at all, but I don't remember seeing any after that.

or maybe the EPA was established,

I started 1st. grade in 1957

That was the year my Mother graduated high school.  My father was only nine. 

[Ozark Tracker]

My dad used to talk about another thing they gave them back when he was a kid.  a teaspoon of sugar with a drop of turpentine in it to prevent fevers

They lived down along the Arkansas River in a rather swampy type area (same place I was raised)  that was overrun with mosiquitis. he said in the summer time the sky would be balck with them.

by the time I came along, they were raising cotton and spraying it with DDT,  poof  on bugs.  (people too)

[litl rooster]

   Trinity, I couldn't make out what the name of the weed is.........I believe it's what they also call Queen Ann's Lace....It's the stinkinest weed, hate when I run thru a patch with the brush hog.

OT, I started school in 58 in Indiana, 6th grade moved to Ohio, 4Eyed Buck seemed to know about the Bags also.........I still ain't never heard of them.

[Ozark Tracker]

I'm not sure where it originates,  my wife had heard of them, but she said her dad was the one talking about them and he was raised in Oklahoma too.

I grew up around several full Cherokee and Creek Indian families,  they did wear them,  and they did smell awful but I have never heard anyone say what was used,

I'll ask around and see if some of the old timers around know!

[Delmonico]

Trinity's weed could be one of several of the parsley family, Queen Ann's Lace is one of them.
Some of them are very posionious.

[Arcey]

Just sounds like onions.  They smell like a sweaty armpit.........

[Ozark Tracker]

Trinity's weed

Trinity's got weed?

[Arcey]

Growin' out 'iz armpits is my guess.........

[Trinity]

   Trinity, I couldn't make out what the name of the weed is.........I believe it's what they also call Queen Ann's Lace....It's the stinkinest weed, hate when I run thru a patch with the brush hog.

OT, I started school in 58 in Indiana, 6th grade moved to Ohio, 4Eyed Buck seemed to know about the Bags also.........I still ain't never heard of them.

I just looked at a picture of your stuff.  It looks like the smelly stuff that florists put in bouquets.  That stuff STINKS!!!!!!!



I couldn't quite read the name of the weed, but the "asafoetida" goes by several different spellings and I think what is written is one of them.

Here's another website explaining the stuff:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida

[litl rooster]

Just sounds like onions.  They smell like a sweaty armpit.........

Sure enough is..............

[litl rooster]

This time a year there is alot of them white flowers growing.........They stink sure enuff.   In the spring before the grass comes on the wild onions and the skunk cabbage comes on.  The cattle get to browsing on them......god awful gas from their diet....I try to ride point that time of year.

[Trinity]

Does it cause them to... air out?