Cramp

Persons subject to this complaint, being generally attacked in the night, should have a board fixed at the bottom of the bed, against which the foot should be strongly pressed when the pain commences. This will seldom fail to afford relief. When it is more obstinate, a brick should be heated, wrapped in a flannel bag at the bottom of the bed, and the foot placed against it. The brick will continue warm, and prevent a return of the complaint. No remedy however is more safe or more certain than that of rubbing the affected part, to restore a free circulation. If the cramp attack the stomach or bowels, it is attended with considerable danger: medicine may relieve but cannot cure. All hot and stimulating liquors must be carefully avoided, and a tea-cupful of lukewarm gruel or camomile tea should be frequently given, with ten or fifteen drops of deliquidated salt of tartar in each.

Source: The Cook And Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary, Mary Eaton

Chilblains

Due to bad circulation in the parts affected — the hands, feet, and ears. A person addicted to chilblains should wear thick, warm underclothing on arms and legs, and avoid garters or anything which tends to check the circulation. As the blood comes very near the surface at the wrists, it will be less chilled before entering the hands if woollen wristlets be worn indoors in cold weather. Thick-soled boots, lined with cork “socks”, will help to prevent chilblains in the feet when standing about in cold, damp weather. Cold draughts round the feet indoors, and standing on cold flooring while dressing and undressing are productive of chilblains in the toes. Daily baths as cold as suits, followed by brisk rubbing, and plenty of exercise and good food, will do a great deal to keep chilblains at bay. If they appear, however, bathing in hot water, followed by squeezing of the swellings with the fingers and the application of camphorated oil, helps to stop the itching. Broken chilblains should be treated like chapped hands. In cases where the cracks are very feep care must be taken to prevent infection by dressing with boracic lint and powder like other open wounds.

Source: The Complete Household Adviser

Growing Pains Cured

Following in our mother’s footsteps, we have been routed night after night from our warm quarters, in the dead of winter, to kindle fires and fill frosty kettles from water-pails thickly crusted with ice, that we might get the writhing pedal extremities of our little heir into a tub of water as quickly as possible. But lately we have learned that all this work and exposure is needless. We simply wring a towel from salted water–a bowl of it standing in our sleeping room, ready for such an emergency–wrap the limb in it from the ankle to knee, without taking the child from his bed, and then swathe with dry flannels, thick and warm, tucking the blankets about him a little closer, and relief is sure.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Remedy for Lockjaw

If any person is threatened or taken with lockjaw from injuries of the arms, legs or feet, do not wait for a doctor, but put the part injured in the following preparation: Put hot wood-ashes into water as warm as can be borne; if the injured part cannot be put into water, then wet thick folded cloths in the water and apply them to the part as soon as possible, at the same time bathe the backbone from the neck down with some laxative stimulant–say cayenne pepper and water, or mustard and water (good vinegar is better than water); it should be as hot as the patient can bear it. Don’t hesitate; go to work and do it, and don’t stop until the jaws will come open. No person need die of lockjaw if these directions are followed.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Cramps in the Leg

Sleep with hot water bag at the feet. A garter tied tightly around the leg often effects a cure. Quick, hard rubbing is best in sudden, painful attacks. Often it is essential to walk about the room to bring the circulation of blood to the feet again.

Source: Civic League Cook Book

Fever with Pains in the Limbs

Take twenty drops of Spirit of Hartshorn in a cup of water twice or thrice in twenty-four hours.

Or drink largely of Cinquefoil Tea.

Source: Primitive Physic: or an easy and natural method of curing most diseases, John Wesley.

Cramps, Turpentine for

“A cloth dipped in turpentine and applied will relieve cramps in the limbs,” Any one suffering with this difficulty will find the above treatment very beneficial.

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

Gangrene, Remedy from New York that cured a Gangrenous Case

“A man aged 74 years had a sore below the knee for fifteen years; at last gangrene appeared in his foot and three physicians pronounced his case hopeless on account of his age. I was called as a neighbor and found the foot swollen to twice its natural size, and the man in pain from head to foot. I ordered cabbage leaves steamed until wilted, then put them over the limb from knee to foot and covered with a cloth. In about fifteen minutes they were black, so we removed them and put on fresh ones, repeating the change until the leaves did not turn black. Then the sore was thoroughly cleansed with a weak solution of saleratus and while wet was thickly covered with common black pepper and wrapped up. The saleratus water and pepper was changed night and morning until the sore was entirely healed. After the third day this man had no pain, and in four weeks was entirely healed. A year later he said he had never had any trouble with it or with rheumatism which he had had for years before.”

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