Whooping-Cough, Chestnut Leaves for

“Steep chestnut leaves, strain, add sugar according to amount of juice and boil down to a syrup; give plenty of this. A friend of mine gave this to her children. She said they recovered rapidly and the cough was not severe.” They are not the horse-chestnut leaves.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Chafing in Infants, Mutton Tallow for

“Five cents’ worth of mutton tallow, melted. Apply at night.” If there is a tendency to
chafe during the day, use talcum powder, putting the mutton tallow on at night when the child will be quiet, giving it an opportunity to heal.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Measles, Lemon Remedy from a Canadian Mother

“Give child all cold lemonade it can drink and keep in warm room. This acts just as well as if the drinks are hot. We tried both on our children and cured both ways.” Don’t give so much of the cold as to chill. The cold drink makes child sweat, just as hot does. Also helps to carry off impurities by flushing bowels, just as clear water would.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Piles, the Cold Water Cure for

“Take about a half pint of cold water and use as an injection every morning before trying to have a movement of the bowels.” This simple treatment has cured many cases where the stronger medicines did not help.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Quinsy, Raw Beef Has Cured

“Bind raw beefsteak over the tonsils on one or both sides of the throat as required.” The beefsteak acts as a poultice and counter-irritant, drawing the inflammation out in a short time. This is very good, and is easily prepared.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Constipation, Herb Tea for

“One ounce senna leaves steeped in one-half pint of hot water, with a teaspoonful of ginger powdered; strain. This is a most certain and effective purge, and mild in its action upon the bowels. Dose:– A cupful at bedtime. This is far superior to salts.”

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

A Water for a Consumption, or for a Brain that is weak

Take Cream (or new milk) and Claret-wine, of each three pints, of Violet-flowers, Bugloss and Borage-flowers, of each a spoonful, Comfrey, Knot-grass, and Plantane of these half a handful, three or four Pome-waters sliced, a stick of Liquorish, some Pompion seeds and strings; put to this a Cock that hath been chased and beaten before he was killed, dress it as to boil, and parboil it until there be no blood in it; then put them in a pot, and set them over your Limbeck, and the soft fire; draw out a pottle of water, then put your water in a Pipkin over a Charcoal fire, and boil it a while, dissolve therein six ounces of white Sugar-candy, & two penny weight of Saffron; when it is cold strain it into a glass, & let the Patient drink three or four spoonfuls three or four times a day blood-warm; your Cock must be cut into small pieces, & the bones broken, and in case the flowers and herbs are bard to come by, a spoonful of their stilled waters are to be used.

Source: A Queen’s Delight: Or, The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, Nathaniel Brooke

Piles, Strongly Recommended Remedy for

“Extract Belladonna 15 grains
Acetate lead 1/2 dram
Chloretone 1 dram
Gallic acid 15 grains
Sulphur 20 grains
Vaseline 1 ounce

Mix.

In protruding, itching and blind piles, this ointment will give you almost instant relief. If kept up several days it will promote a cure.”

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Quinsy, Willow Gargle for

“Steep pussy willow and gargle throat with it. This remedy if taken in time, will cure quinsy and it will not return.”

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Dropsy, Wild Milkweed for

“Steep the root of the wild milkweed and drink the tea in doses of a wineglass three times a day. This is a sure cure if taken in early stages.”

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter