Warts

If they give you no special inconvenience, let them alone. But if it is of essential importance to get rid of them, purchase half an ounce of muriatic acid, put it in a broad-bottomed vial, so that it will not easily turn over; take a stick as large as the end of a knitting-needle, dip it into the acid, and touch the top of the wart with whatever of the acid adheres to the stick; then, with the end of the stick, rub the acid into the top of the wart, without allowing the acid to touch the well skin. Do this night and morning, and a safe, painless, and effectual cure is the result; or, apply castor oil to a wart several times a day for a week or two, and it will disappear and not return; or, apply washing soda, just wet, a few times; let it remain on, and they will soon disappear altogether; or, scrape a carrot fine and apply as a poultice for six nights; or, rub sal-ammoniac on the wart twice a day until it disappears.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

For the Bloody Flux

This powder will be found exceedingly useful in abating the irritation and giving retentive power to the intestines, when the evacuations from the bowels are frequent, have a frothy appearance, and are tinged with blood. The best mode of taking this medicine is the following:—

Take of the Astringent Powder, one scruple;
Aromatic Confection, one scruple;
Powdered Rhubarb, five grains;
Cinnamon Water, one ounce and a half.

Mix, and make a draught, which may be taken every four hours, if required. Four or five drops of laudanum may be added to each draught, if the evacuations are attended with pain.

Source: A Companion To The Medicine Chest, John Savory.

Best Cure for Sprain

One drachm oil of wormwood. Mix with 1 gill alcohol. Apply to sprain or bruise, and keep a cloth wet with it on the injured part. Will cure in a very short time.

Source: Mrs Owens’ Cook Book and Useful Household Hints, Frances Owens

Tea for Falling Hair

Where the hair falls out, a simple preparation of ordinary tea, or if this does not prove efficacious, of sage tea, applied to the roots of the hair with a sponge, will usually prove an effectual cure, and, moreover, will tend to prevent the accumulation of scaly dandruff which accompanies this trouble of the scalp.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

Effective Eyebrow Pomade

Boric acid, twenty centigrams; red vaseline, twenty grams. Rub this pomade into the brows every other day and you will attain your desire — silky, luxuriant eyebrows.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

Onions as a Disinfectant

In case of small-pox, or any contagious disease, cut up an onion and put it in the sick-room, and replace it every hour with a fresh one.

Source: Mrs Owens’ Cook Book and Useful Household Hints, Frances Owens

Worm Fever

Boil a handful of Rue and Wormwood in water; foment the belly with the decoction, and apply the boiled herbs as a poultice; repeat the application night and morning. This frequently brings away worms from children, who will take no internal medicine; and is likewise serviceable if the fever be of the putrid kind.

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

Dyspeptic Ley

Take hickory ashes, one pint; soot, three or four ounces; boiling water, two quarts. Pour on in a suitable vessel or crock, stir, and let stand, over night, then pour off clear and bottle. Dose: Half a teacupful three times a day, and if too strong weaken with water until palatable. A sure remedy for dyspepsia.

Source: The Ladies’ Book Of Useful Information

German Lip Salve

Butter of cacao, one-half ounce; oil of almonds, one-quarter ounce; melt together with a gentle heat, and add six drops of essence of lemon.

Source: The Ladies’ Book of Useful Information

Whooping-Cough Cure

Olive oil, 2 ounces; Jamaica rum, 2 ounces; brown sugar, 2 ounces; laudanum, 1 drachm. Melt the sugar in a little water and add the other ingredients. Give a teaspoon after every paroxysm.

After the third week of whooping-cough, put 1 ounce strongest liquid ammonia in a gallon of boiling water in an open pan. Keep up the steam by putting in a red hot brick. Place in the center of the room where the patient is. This will frequently terminate the malady in 3 or 4 days. Try it each night until relieved.

Source: Mrs Owens’ Cook Book and Useful Household Hints, Frances Owens