This book is written for those who are interested in rediscovering and learning about some of the "Old Home Remedies" used by our grandparents and others who have gone before us: In the days of old, many had no other options when illness occurred, but to use herbs and natural remedies for themselves and those who came to them for the "cure". Herbs and other remedies were used also, to prevent illness and disease. The descriptive information is written mostly from my memory of my Grandmother, but even more so, from the memory of my Great-Grandmother, both of whom I have come to realize, played a very important role in who I am, and even more so, in whom I am becoming today.

Cure a nosebleed by holding a silver quarter on the back of the neck. Treat an earache with sweet oil drops. Wear plant roots to keep from catching colds. Within many African American families, these kinds of practices continue today, woven into the fabric of black culture, often communicated through women. Such folk practices shape the concepts about healing that are diffused throughout African American communities and are expressed in myriad ways, from faith healing to making a mojo. Stephanie Y. Mitchem presents a fascinating study of African American healing. She sheds light on a variety of folk practices and traces their development from the time of slavery through the Great Migrations. She explores how they have continued into the present and their relationship with alternative medicines. Through conversations with black Americans, she demonstrates how herbs, charms, and rituals continue folk healing performances. Mitchem shows that these practices are not simply about healing; they are linked to expressions of faith, delineating aspects of a holistic epistemology and pointing to disjunctures between African American views of wellness and illness and those of the culture of institutional medicine.

“Nature itself is the best physician. The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.” -Paracelsus This book is written for those who are interested in rediscovering and learning about some of the “Old Home Remedies” used by our grandparents and others who have gone before us. In the days of old, many had no other options when illness occurred, but to use herbs and natural remedies for themselves and those who came to them for the “cure”. Herbs and other remedies were used also, to prevent illness and disease. Many of the remedies I learned that you will read about come from farmers, producers, collectors, herbalists, healers and village women who all have some ideas about plants and foods that can be used as medicine. The book will be a wonderful reference and resource for those interested in natural healing techniques. I am happy to share what I have learned both in Missouri and from afar with those who are interested in African influenced Home Remedies. Here’s Some Of What You’ll Learn: -The History Of My Healing Ancestors -Food Used As Medicine -Preparation And Usage Of Herbs -Preparing An Herbal Tea -Preparing A Tincture -Preparing Herbal Capsules -Preparing Herbal Poultices -Preparing A Decoction -Preparing An Ointment -Preparing A Compress -Preparing Herbal Powders -Essential Oils That Encourage Relaxation & Reduce Stress And Over 40 Home Remedies

A cultural look at the traditional health beliefs and practices of African Americans. Representing more than twenty years of anthropological research, Walkin' over Medicine, originally published by Westview Press in 1993, presents the results of Loudell F. Snow's community-based studies in Arizona and Michigan, work in two urban prenatal clinics, conversations and correspondence with traditional healers, and experience as a behavioral scientist in a pediatrics clinic. Snow also visited numerous pharmacies, grocery stores, and specialty shops in several major cities, accompanied families to church services, and attended weddings, baptisms, graduations, and funerals.

Natural approaches to maintaining or restoring overall well being. Chapters are devoted to the health concerns of particular importance to African-Americans such as heart disease & diabetes.