Lip Salves

A good lip-salve may be made as follows:–

1. Take an ounce of the oil of sweet almonds, cold drawn; a drachm of fresh mutton suet; and a little bruised alkanet root: and simmer the whole together in an earthen pipkin. Instead of the oil of sweet almonds you may use oil of Jasmin, or oil of any other flower, if you intend the lip-salve to have a fragrant odour.

2. Take a pound of fresh butter; a quarter of a pound of beeswax; four or five ounces of cleansed black grapes, and about an ounce of bruised alkanet root. Simmer them together over a slow fire till the wax is wholly dissolved, and the mixture becomes of a bright red color; strain, and put it by for use.

3. Oil of almonds, spermaceti, white wax, and white sugar-candy, equal parts, form a good white lip-salve.

Source: The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness, Florence Hartley

Cold Cream

Take 2 1/2 ounces of sweet oil of almonds, 3 drachms of white wax, and the same of spermaceti, 2 1/2 ounces of rose-water, 1 drachm of oil of bergamot, and 15 drops each of oil of lavender, and otto of roses. Melt the wax and spermaceti in the oil of almonds, by placing them together in a jar, which should be plunged into boiling water. Heat a mortar (which should, if possible, be marble) by pouring boiling water into it, and letting it remain there until the mortar is uniformly heated; the water is to be poured away, and the mortar dried well. Pour the melted wax and spermaceti into the warm mortar, and add rose-water gradually, while the mixture is constantly stirred or whisked with an egg-whisp, until the whole is cold, and, when nearly finished, add the oils and otto of roses.

In the absence of a mortar, a basin plunged into another containing boiling water will answer the purpose.

Source: The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness, Florence Hartley

Dock Ointment

A favourite country remedy of great value in the treatment of skin diseases. Clean and bruise half-a-pound of common yellow dock root, simmer for two hours in three gills of water, strain and evaporate to half a tea-cupful. Add gradually six ounces of prepared lard and an ounce of yellow wax, which have been previously melted together. Stir the whole till cold, and apply freely.

Source: Fray’s Golden Recipes for the use of all ages, E. Fray

Granulated Cold Cream

Take white wax and spermaceti, of each one ounce; almond oil 3 ounces, otto of rose, as much as you please. Dissolve the wax and spermaceti in the almond oil, by means of heat, and when a little cool, pour the mixture into a large wedgwood mortar previously warmed, and containing about a pint of warm water. Stir briskly until the cream is well divided, add the otto, and suddenly pour the whole into a clean vessel containing 8 or 12 pints of cold water. Separate the cream by straining through muslin, and shake out a much water as possible.

Source: The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness, Florence Hartley

Ammoniacal Pomatum for Promoting the Growth of Hair

Take almond oil, quarter of a pound; white wax, half an ounce; clarified lard, three ounces; liquid ammonia, a quarter fluid ounce; otto of lavender, and cloves, of each one drachm. Place the oil, wax and lard in a jar, which set in boiling water; when the wax is melted, allow the grease to cool till nearly ready to set, then stir in the ammonia and the perfume, and put into small jars for use. Never use a hard brush, nor comb the hair too much. Apply the pomade at night only.

Source: Our Knowledge Box, ed. G. Blackie

White Camphorated Ointment

1. Take 3 ounces 2 drachms of powdered carbonate of lead (cerussa), 45 grains of powdered camphor. Mix, and then stir into 5 ounces of melted lard.

This is applied to burns and contusions with very good effect, and is much used in Austria. The surface must not be abraded when it is applied.

2. Take 4 ounces of olive oil, 1 ounce of white wax, 22 grains of camphor, and 6 drachms of spermaceti. Melt the wax and spermaceti with the oil, and when they have cooled rub the ointment with the camphor, dissolved in a little oil. Sometimes the white wax is omitted, and lard substituted for it.

It is useful in chaps, fissures, abrasions, and roughness of the skin.

Source: The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness, Florence Hartley

Gnat Stings

Wherever gnats abound the following compound should always be kept at hand, as it is useful, not only as a cure, but also as the best preventive against the attack of these insects. Take two ounces of spermaceti, half an ounce of white wax, one ounce of camphor, and two ounces of olive oil. Melt the whole together, stirring frequently the while. Pour into small pots for use.

Source: Recipes for the Million

Plaster for a Cough

Beat together 1 oz. each, of bees-wax, white Burgundy pitch, and rosin, 1/4 oz. coarse turpentine, 1/2 oz. oil of mace; spread it on white leather, the shape of a heart; when it flies off, renew it, two or three times.

Source: The English Housekeeper, Anne Cobbett

Basilicon

Yellow basilicon is made of equal quantities of bees-wax, white rosin, and frankincense. Melt them together over a slow fire, add the same weight of fresh lard, and strain it off while it is warm. This ointment is used for cleansing and healing wounds and ulcers.

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

Boils

Bring these tumours to a head by hot poultices of camomile flowers or white lily root, fermenting with hot water, or by a plaster of shoemakers’ wax. When ripe prick the centre with a needle or slit it with a lancet, and apply bread poultices till the discharge is cleared away. Purify the blood with a course of medicine.

Source: Recipes for the Million