A Cure for the Retention of the Urine

April 22nd, 2022

Any person that cannot make his water, may take a little cinquefoil, a few plantain leaves with the root, and a little sheep’s dung, and drink it as a tea.

Tea, made of nettles, is a good remedy also for the above complaint.

Source: Recipes: Information for Everybody, J.F. Landis

Bites and Stings

October 8th, 2021

Stings from wasps, bees, and ants need treatment with fruit acids — bathe in vinegar or apply a slice of raw apple or peach or a crushed grape. Instant sucking removes part of the poison and relieves the pain to a degree. Always suck bites, as of spiders, unless there are abrasions of tongue and lips. After sucking bathe freely with fresh peroxide of hydrogen, boracic acid, or sugar-of-lead water. A leaf of green plantain, well bruised, bound on a bite or sting when nothing else is at hand keeps down inflammation and mitigates pain. In case of stings make sure the sting proper has not been left in the wound, since its presence might induce blood poisoning.

Source: Harper’s Household Handbook: A guide to easy ways of doing woman’s work, Martha McCulloch-Williams

Conserve of Red Roses

August 13th, 2017

Doctor Glisson makes his conserve of red Roses thus: Boil gently a pound of red Rose leaves (well picked, and the Nails cut off) in about a pint and a half (or a little more, as by discretion you shall judge fit, after having done it once; The Doctors Apothecary takes two pints) of Spring water; till the water have drawn out all the Tincture of the Roses into it self, and that the leaves be very tender, and look pale like Linnen; which may be in a good half hour, or an hour, keeping the pot covered whiles it boileth. Then pour the tincted Liquor from the pale Leaves (strain it out, pressing it gently, so that you may have Liquor enough to dissolve your Sugar) and set it upon the fire by it self to boil, putting into it a pound of pure double refined Sugar in small Powder; which as soon as it is dissolved, put in a second pound; then a third, lastly a fourth, so that you have four pound of Sugar to every pound of Rose-leaves. (The Apothecary useth to put all the four pounds into the Liquor altogether at once,) Boil these four pounds of Sugar with the tincted Liquor, till it be a high Syrup, very near a candy height, (as high as it can be, not to flake or candy) Then put the pale Rose-leaves, into this high Syrup, as it yet standeth upon the fire, or immediately upon the taking it off the fire. But presently take it from the fire, and stir them exceeding well together, to mix them uniformly; then let them stand till they be cold; then pot them up. If you put up your Conserve into pots, whiles it is yet throughly warm, and leave them uncovered some days, putting them in the hot Sun or stove, there will grow a fine candy upon the top, which will preserve the conserve without paper upon it, from moulding, till you break the candied crust, to take out some of the conserve.

The colour both of the Rose-leaves and the Syrup about them, will be exceeding beautiful and red, and the taste excellent; and the whole very tender and smoothing, and easie to digest in the stomack without clogging it, as doth the ordinary rough conserve made of raw Roses beaten with Sugar, which is very rough in the throat. The worst of it is, that if you put not a Paper to lie always close upon the top of the conserve, it will be apt to grow mouldy there on the top; especially aprés que le pot est entamé.

The Conserve of Roses, besides being good for Colds and Coughs, and for the Lunges, is exceeding good for sharpness and heat of Urine, and soreness of the bladder, eaten much by it self, or drunk with Milk, or distilled water of Mallows, and Plantaine, or of Milk.

Source: The Closet Of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened, K. Digby

Flux

March 10th, 2015

Receive the smoke of Turpentine cast on burning coals. This cures also the Bloody Flux and the Falling of the Fundament.

Or put a large brown Toast into three quarts of water, with a drachm of cochineal powdered, and a drachm of salt of wormwood. Drink it all in as short time as you conveniently can. This rarely fails to cure all Fluxes, Cholera Morbus, yea, and inflammations of the bowels. Tried.

Or take a spoonful of Plantane-seed bruised, morning and evening till it stops.

Or ten grains of Ipecacuanha, three mornings successively. It is likewise excellent as a sudorific.

Or boil four ounces of rasped Logwood, or fresh Logwood chips, in three quarts of water to two; strain it, and drink a quarter of a pint, sweetened with loaf-sugar warm, twice a day. It both binds and heals. Or take a small tea-cupful of it every hour.

Or boil the fat of a breast of mutton in a quart of water for an hour. Drink the broth as soon as you can conveniently. This will cure the most inveterate flux. Tried.

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

Kitridge’s Salve

November 2nd, 2008

Bitter-sweet and sweet elder roots, of each 1 1/2 lbs; hop vines and leaves, and garden plantain, top and root, of each 1/2 lb; tobacco 1 three-cent plug. Boil all in rain water to get out the strength, then put the herbs in a thick cloth and press out the juice and boil down carefully to 1/2 pt; then add unsalted butter 1 lb; bees-wax and rosin, of each 1 oz, and simmer over a slow fire until the water is all out.

Source: Dr Chase’s Recipes, or Information for Everybody, A.W. Chase

Kidney Trouble, an Easily Prepared Remedy for

June 17th, 2008

“Steep plantain leaves into strong tea. Take half cup every night. This has been found good for kidney trouble.” Also good for ivy poisoning, burns, scalds, bruises, and to check bleeding; pound leaves to a paste and apply to parts.

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

A Water for a Consumption, or for a Brain that is weak

March 31st, 2008

Take Cream (or new milk) and Claret-wine, of each three pints, of Violet-flowers, Bugloss and Borage-flowers, of each a spoonful, Comfrey, Knot-grass, and Plantane of these half a handful, three or four Pome-waters sliced, a stick of Liquorish, some Pompion seeds and strings; put to this a Cock that hath been chased and beaten before he was killed, dress it as to boil, and parboil it until there be no blood in it; then put them in a pot, and set them over your Limbeck, and the soft fire; draw out a pottle of water, then put your water in a Pipkin over a Charcoal fire, and boil it a while, dissolve therein six ounces of white Sugar-candy, & two penny weight of Saffron; when it is cold strain it into a glass, & let the Patient drink three or four spoonfuls three or four times a day blood-warm; your Cock must be cut into small pieces, & the bones broken, and in case the flowers and herbs are bard to come by, a spoonful of their stilled waters are to be used.

Source: A Queen’s Delight: Or, The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, Nathaniel Brooke

Lameness, Plantain Leaves and Cream for

February 11th, 2008

“Make ointment from plantain leaves, simmered in sweet cream or fresh butter. This is very cooling.”

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

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    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 or other medical professional for any medical advice you require.