A Cure for Burns or Scalds

Thoroughly bruise a raw onion and a potato into a pulp, by scraping or beating them with a rolling-pin; mix this pulp with a good table-spoonful of salad oil, and apply it to the naked burn or scald; secure it on the part with a linen bandage.

Source: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, C.E. Francatelli

To get rid of Red Ants

A small quantity of green sage, placed in the closet, will cause red ants to disappear. The flour of sulphur, also, sprinkled round the places they frequent, will cause them to disappear.

Source: Valuable Receipts, J.M. Prescott

How to make White Wine Whey

Put a pint of milk into a very clean saucepan or skillet, to boil on the fire; then add half a gill of any kind of white wine; allow the milk to boil up, then pour it into a basin, and allow it to stand in a cool place, that the curd may fall to the bottom of the basin; then pour off the whey — which is excellent as an agent to remove a severe cough or cold.

Source: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, C.E. Francatelli

Inflamed Sore Throat

Gargle with borax and alum, dissolved in water. Take equal parts of saltpetre and loaf sugar pulverized together; place upon the tongue, and let it trickle down slowly to the inflamed part. Use this two or three times a day. Rub the glands with a mixture of camphor, cantharides, myrrh, and turpentine. If this fails to reduce the inflammation, put a small blister within an inch of the ears. A gargle with red pepper tea is good. Give cooling medicines. Bathe the feet at night. Avoid taking cold.

Source: Mrs Hill’s New Cook-Book

A Cure for the Sting of Wasps or Bees

Bruise the leaf of the poppy, and apply it to the part affected.

Source: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, C.E. Francatelli

Camomile Tea

Put about thirty flowers into a jug, pour a pint of boiling water upon them, cover up the tea, and when it has stood about ten minutes, pour it off from the flowers into another jug; sweeten with sugar or honey; drink a tea-cupful of it fasting in the morning to strengthen the digestive organs, and restore the liver to healthier action. A tea-cupful of camomile tea, in which is stirred a large dessert-spoonful of moist sugar, and a little grated ginger, is an excellent thing to administer to aged people a couple of hours before their dinner.

Source: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, C.E. Francatelli

To Restore Sweetness to Tainted Butter

Cut or break the butter into very small pieces ; or, what is better, force it through a course wire sieve, so as to make it small as possible. Then put it into a churn with a sufficient quantity of new milk to swim it, and churn it well ; then take it out and work it well to free it from the milk, adding a little salt if necessary, and it will hardly be distinguished from entirely new butter.

Another way. To every pound of rancid butter, add a pint of water, into which has been put from twelve to fifteen drops of chloride of lime. Mix till all the particles are in contact with the water ; after letting it stand an hour or two, take it out and wash it in fresh water.

Source: Valuable Receipts, J.M. Prescott

Bran Tea: a Remedy for Colds, etc.

Boil a large handful of bran in a quart of water for ten minutes, then strain off the water into a jug, sweeten it with one ounce of gum arabic and a good spoonful of honey; stir all well together, and give this kind of drink in all cases of affections of the chest, such as colds, catarrhs, consumption, etc., and also for the measles.

Source: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, C.E. Francatelli

Linseed Tea

Put a table-spoonful of linseed into a clean earthen pot or pipkin with a quart of water, and a little orange or lemon rind; boil this gently for about ten minutes, and then strain it through muslin into a jug; sweeten with honey or sugar, add the juice of a lemon, stir all together, and give this beverage to allay irritation of the chest and lungs—in the latter case, the lemon juice had better be omitted. Linseed tea in its purest form is an excellent accessory in aiding to relieve such as are afflicted with gout, gravel, etc.

Source: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, C.E. Francatelli

Baked Lemon for a Cold

Dose a teaspoonful. Bake a lemon till soft, take out all the inside, and mix with as much sugar as it will hold, strain and stand till cold when it will jelly.

Source: My Pet Recipes, Tried And True