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This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. Copyright © 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

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Sweet Milk

by Wiley J. Williams, 2006

"Sweet milk" is a southern term referring to fresh, unprocessed whole milk. The term has been used less and less as the regional differences between the South and other areas of the United States have diminished. North Carolina folklore suggests some interesting applications of sweet milk. Some claim it should be drunk as a remedy for snake bite. It is also said to be essential in extinguishing house fires caused by lightning, keeping witches away, and, when used in a poultice of sweet potato leaves, relieving inflammation in the fingers or other parts of the body.

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