Old Time Remedies

The remedies our ancestors used -- or, at least, were told to use! Folk remedies, old wives' tales, mediaeval cures... they're all here.

NOTE: these remedies are listed only for information and/or amusement. They are not to be construed as medical advice of any type, nor are they recommended for use. Consult your doctor for any medical advice you require.

Thursday, 5 June 2008

Sore Eyes, Camphor and Breast Milk for

"When a tiny baby has sore eyes, add one-half drop of camphor to a teaspoonful of breast milk; bathe the eyes several times a day." Breast milk alone applied to the eyes of an infant is very healing, but the addition of camphor improves it.

Source: Mother's Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Labels: babies, baby, breast milk, camphor, child, children, eyes, milk

1 Comments:

eire said...: i know about this, especially here in the philippines among those in the lower socio-economic status. they, however, use breastmilk alone without the camphor. my comment on this is that applying breast milk on the eye (for whatever reason or purpose) is very, very dangerous, especially in a setting when there is an active eye infection with an established break in the outer layer of the cornea. i am an eye doctor, and practicing in a government hospital where a lot of our patients are poor and indigent, and have resorted to such "home remedies (as handed down from generation to generation)", i have seen a number of simple sore eyes turn worse...two have even perforated, because of applying breastmilk in the eyes. i hope people become more educated about this issue. thanks; 12 November 2008 00:25