1408 star Samuel L. Jackson was lucky to make it to adulthood - because all his childhood illnesses and ailments were treated by a local witch doctor in Tennessee. Jackson reveals his parents were keen to avoid hospital trips at all costs - and, instead, employed the services of The Root Lady.

The actor recalls, "I grew up in the segregated south so sometimes when I got hurt, sick or whatever we couldn't afford to go to the doctor. We didn't go to the hospital because we figured they weren't gonna see us anyway so they called The Root Lady who would actually come over and put very stinky stuff on you and chant. She would take herbs and we bought chickens off the trucks and when you killed them she got the heads and feet and she did stuff with them."

-Samuel L. Jackson Pictures

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)