Cure for Ringworm
Wash the part affected with a little lemon juice; then rub in with the finger a little indigo which has been bruised in a mortar. Do this gently about twice a day.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
A Very Useful Liniment
One ounce oil of origanum, two ounces spirits of turpentine, shake up well and apply on soft linen; to some persons this liniment has an unpleasant odor, but it is very efficacious; there is no better for burns, sprains, cuts, etc., in cases where the skin is not broken; pour a little into the hand, and rub well on the parts affected two or three times a day.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
To make the very best Surfet-water
Take one Gallon of the best French Spirits, and a Pint of Damask-Rose-water, half a Pint of Poppy water, one pound of white Sugar Candy bruised, then take one pound and half of Raisins in the Sun stoned, half a pound of Dates stoned and sliced, then take one Ounce of Mace, one Ounce of Cloves, one Ounce of Cinamon, one Ounce of Aniseeds rubbed clean from the dust, then take a quarter of an Ounce of Licoras clean scraped and sliced, and all the Spices grosly beaten, let all these steep in the Spirits four days; then take a quarter of a peck of Red Poppy Leaves fresh gathered, and the black part cut off, and put them in, and when it hath stood four or five days, strain it, and put it into your Glass, then put in your Sugar-Candy finely beaten, twelve peniworth of Ambergreece, six peniworth of Musk, keep it close, and shake it now and then, and when you use it, you may put some kind of Syrrup to it, what you please.
Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley
Toothache
Toothache can be effectually cured by putting a small piece of cotton wet with ammonia into the cavity of the affected tooth; or, pulverize about equal parts of common salt and alum. Cut as much cotton as will fill the tooth; damp it; put it in the mixture, and place it in the tooth. This is also a good mixture for cleansing the teeth.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
Wash to Prevent Sunburn
Take two drams of borax, one dram of Roman alum, one dram of camphor, half an ounce of sugar candy, one pound of ox-gall. Mix and stir well together, and repeat the stirring three or four times a day until it becomes transparent; then strain it through filtering or blotting paper, and it will be fit for use. Wash the face with the mixture before you go into the sun.
Source: The Ladies’ Book Of Useful Information
For Morphew, or Freckles, and to clear the Skin
Take the Blood of any Fowl or Beast, and wipe your Face all over with it every night when you go to bed for a fortnight together, and the next day wash it all off with White Wine, and white Sugar Candy, and sometimes hold your face over the smoke of Brimstone for a while, and shut your eyes, if you add the Juice of a Limon to the white Wine, it will be the better.
Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley
Claret Gargle
A gargle of hot claret often affords much relief in cases of acute sore throat.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
Remedy for Asthma
The following is said to be a cure for the distressing disease, asthma: The ingredients are: Sulphur, one half ounce; cream of tartar, one ounce; senna, one ounce; aniseed, one-half ounce. Pulverize and thoroughly mix the ingredients, and take one teaspoonful in about two tablespoonfuls of molasses on going to bed, or at such time through the day as may suit the patient. The dose, once a day, may be diminished or increased a little, as may best suit the state of the bowels of the individual.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
Lemon for Corns
A piece of lemon, or stale bread moistened with lemon juice, bound on a corn will cure it. Renew night and morning. The first application will produce soreness, but if treatment is persisted in for a reasonable length of time a cure will be effected.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
The Melancholy Water
Take of the Flowers of Gilliflowers, four handfuls, Rosemary flowers three handfuls, Damask Rose leaves, Burrage and Bugloss flowers of each one handful, of Balm leaves six handfuls, of Marigold flowers one handful, of Pinks six handfuls, of Cinamon grosly beaten, half an ounce, two Nutmegs beaten, Anniseeds beaten one ounce, three peniworth of Saffron; put them all into a Pottle of Sack, and let them stand two days, stirring them sometimes well together; then distil them in an ordinary Still, and let it drop into a Glass wherein there is two grains of Musk, and eight ounces of white Sugar Candy, and some Leaf-Gold; take of this Water three times a week fasting, two spoonfuls at a time, and ofter if you find need; distil with soft fire; this is good for Women in Child-bed if they are faint.
Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley