Piles

August 30th, 2015

One tablespoon lard, one teaspoon pulverized soapstone; simmer together.

Source: The Kansas Home Cook-Book

Stomachic Tincture

August 28th, 2015

Bruise a couple of ounces of Peruvian bark, one of bitter dried orange peel. Steep them in a pint of proof spirit a fortnight, shaking up the bottle that contains it once or twice every day. Let it remain untouched for a couple of days, then decant the bitter into another bottle. A tea-spoonful of this, in a wine glass of water, is a fine tonic.

Source: The American Housewife

Hot Fomentations

August 26th, 2015

Hot fomentations will relieve severe pain and acute inflammation in any part of the body. Wring a flannel out of cold water, and lay on the top of the stove until it is steaming hot. It must be changed every five minutes. If allowed to get cool, it loses its value.

Source: The Kansas Home Cook-Book

Cholera Morbus

August 24th, 2015

Camphor tincture three drops rubbed into a teaspoon sugar, then dissolved in six tablespoons water. Give a spoonful every ten minutes.

Source: The Kansas Home Cook-Book

To destroy Cockroaches, Ants, and other household Vermin

August 22nd, 2015

Hellebore, rubbed over with molasses, and put round the places that cockroaches frequent, is a very effectual poison for them. Arsenic, spread on bread and butter, and placed round rat or mouse holes, will soon put a stop to their ravages. Quicksilver and the white of an egg, beat together, and laid with a feather round the crevices of the bedsteads and the sacking, is very effectual in destroying bugs in them. To kill flies, when so numerous as to be troublesome, keep cobalt, wet with spirit, in a large shallow plate. The spirit will attract the flies, and the cobalt will kill them very soon. Black pepper is said to be good to destroy them — it should be mixed, so as to be very strong, with a little cream and sugar. Great care is necessary in using the above poisons, where there are any children, as they are so apt to eat any thing that comes in their way, and these poisons will prove as fatal to them as to vermin, (excepting the pepper.) The flour of sulphur is said to be good to drive ants away, if sprinkled round the places that they frequent. Sage is also good. Weak brine will kill worms in gravel walks, if kept moist with it a week in the spring, and three or four days in the fall.

Source: The American Housewife

Powders for Children

August 20th, 2015

A very excellent carminative powder for flatulent infants may be kept in the house, and employed with advantage whenever the child is in pain or griped, dropping five grains of oil of anise-seed and two of peppermint on half an ounce of lump sugar, and rubbing it in a mortar, with a drachm of magnesia, into a fine powder. A small quantity of this may be given in a little water at any time, and always with benefit.

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

Cough Mixture

August 18th, 2015

Take a whole lemon, cut it in four parts; add to them half a pound of white sugar; put them in half a pint of boiling water, and let boil for ten minutes. When warm, add six cents worth of paregoric to it. Dose : Take half a wineglassful when the cough is troublesome.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

For Children Teething

August 16th, 2015

Tie a quarter of a pound of wheat flour in a thick cloth and boil it in one quart of water for three hours; then remove the cloth and expose the flour to the air or heat until it is hard and dry; grate from it, when wanted, one tablespoonful, which put into half a pint of new milk, and stir over the fire until it comes to a boil, when add a pinch of salt and a tablespoonful of cold water and serve. This gruel is excellent for children afflicted with summer complaint.

Or brown a tablespoonful of flour in the oven or on top of the stove on a baking tin; feed a few pinches at a time to a child and it will often check a diarrhoea. The tincture of “kino” — of which from ten to thirty drops, mixed with a little sugar and water in a spoon, and given every two or three hours, is very efficacious and harmless — can be procured at almost any druggist’s. Tablespoon doses of pure cider vinegar and a pinch of salt, has cured when all else failed.

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

To Alleviate A Cough

August 14th, 2015

Coughs may be much alleviated, and dry throats cured, by glycerine and lime-juice taken at night. The glycerine should be diluted.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

For Asthma

August 12th, 2015

For asthma soak blotting paper in strong saltpeter water; dry, and burn at night.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

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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.