Toothache, Toothache, Go Away
Sonic* of flic folk remedies uc used would
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a denfisf cry.
By ASHTON CHAPMAN
If someone took the first baby tooth
you shed and drove it into the trunk
of an oak tree, or some one carefully
buried each of your "milk" teeth as you
lost them, you’re supposed "never to
have the toothache."
But if you weren't thus protected
from the toothaches of adolescence and
adulthood, you might now try wearing
the tusk of a hog on a red string around
your neck, not only as a cure for pres¬
ent toothache but to keep you from
ever having toothache again. Also
you're supposed to be free of toothache
if you'll always trim your fingernails
only on Fridays.
Numerous other superstitions re¬
garding toothache and remedies there¬
for have sprung up in Tarheelia during
past generations. A whole flock of such
superstitions cluster around a baby's
teething, such as the belief that if a
wool cap has ever been placed on its
head or the child has ever been per¬
mitted to see itself in a mirror, "it will
have fits cutting its teeth."
Teething Rabies
But folklore also includes ways to
help a baby teeth easily. Admittedly,
some of these methods are rather re¬
pulsive. such as tying around the in¬
fant’s neck a dead frog, a mole’s right
front foot, a rabbit’s left hind foot, the
tooth of a black bear, rattlesnake bones
and especially the snake’s rattles.
A necklace of elderberry twigs as a
teething ring would seem hazardous
should the baby swallow sharp-pointed
ends of the twigs; but it seems down¬
right dangerous for the mother to
"string nine new needles on a thread
and place them in a bag around the
child's neck.”
None of these amulets must be al¬
lowed to fall to the floor, because this
would make them lose their efficacy (if
they had any to begin with).
Other methods recommended for
making teething easier arc even more
repulsive, such as “a good bite of
earthworm." a spoonful of chopped
garlic, or the warm brains of a recently
THE STATE. January 1975
killed wild rabbit, squirrel or black hen
rubbed on the infant's gums. Some
mothers rub their baby's gums with a
silver thimble, which isn’t so bad.
Toothache Remedies
North Carolina folklore includes
numerous "remedies" for the tooth¬
aches of later years, such as picking an
aching tooth with a splinter from a
lightning-blasted tree, then throwing
the toothpick into a stream so the ache
will he borne far away.
Some claim you could be expected to
rid yourself of the toothache if you
"drink after a horse." Or "wash behind
your ears."
In the old days the toothache suf¬
ferer wasn't told to "bite the bullet"
but to carry a bullet in his pocket.
Wearing a finger ring made of lead or
pewter was also believed to ward off
toothache.
A nail driven into an oak tree at the
same height as the aching tooth was
believed to stop the pain.
Some persons have been known to
stop a tooth from aching by filling the
cavity with baking powder or putting
a teaspoonful of salt on the tooth, then
closing the mouth and keeping it shut
until the pain was gone. I he cavity may
be filled with pepper; red pepper is pre¬
ferred. but black will do. Holding a hot
raisin on the aching tooth has also been
recommended.
Other persons have used the fat of a
gray squirrel for toothache. Still others
have filled the cavity with a spider web
and even with wax from their own
ears.
Salt, tobacco, wood ashes and vine¬
gar heated together and used as a poul¬
tice on the side of the face is claimed
to be good for toothache.
A charm to cure toothache is made
by taking "an eyelash, hair from the
eyebrow, trimmings from fingernails
and toenails, then boring a hole in an
oak tree and put the mixture in it, then
close the hole with a wooden peg.” The
sufferer must not know the location of
the tree or the charm will not work.
An old recipe for a "tonic" to relieve
toothache calls for "making a small
amount of wine from pokeberries and
mixing it with eight parts of corn whis¬
key. then taking a teaspoonful or two
a couple of times a day."
Pain-Killing Plants
More than 1400 plants with reputed
medical use grow in North Carolina.
Of the botanicals used to relieve tooth¬
ache one of the most popular, prob¬
ably because it’s generally the most
readily available, has been dogwood
root cut into small pieces and boiled for
10 minutes or so. The patient holds this
Two different species of Irccs grown in North
Corolino ore commonly known
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"toothochc
tree/' This is Xonthoiylum omcriconum, which
grows up lo 25 feci or more ond hos spiny
proluberonccs olong Ihc trunk— olso known os
Pnckly Ash. I See olso THE STATE. Vet. 39. No.
24. Photo by Mitchell Jenkins. I
19