Hair Tonic

Tincture of cantharides one-half ounce, glycerine one-half ounce, lime water three ounces, distilled water one ounce, eau de cologne one-half ounce. Mix and bottle. This is from a famous English chemist.

Source: The Canadian Family Cookbook, Grace E. Denison

For the Croup

The healthiest children are the most liable to this complaint, which is caused by sudden changings in the atmosphere, draughts of cold air, and checking of the perspiration. It betrays itself by a hoarse croaking cough, something like the hooping cough.

Put the child into a warm bath placed opposite the fire; cover it all over with flannel, or a blanket; in the meantime chop an onion or two, squeeze the juice through a piece of muslin, mix it in the proportion of 1 tea-spoonful with 2 table-spoonsful treacle; get the child to swallow as much of this, from time to time, as you can: when it has been in the bath ten or twelve minutes, take it out in a blanket, and as quickly as you can, rub the stomach and chest with a mixture of rum and oil, or goose grease, wrap the child in a flannel and put it to bed, or keep it in the lap by the fire; if the child go to sleep, it will be almost sure to awake free from the disorder. These remedies may not succeed if there be delay in applying them.

Source: The English Housekeeper, Anne Cobbett

Bandoline: or, Hair Fixature

Gum tragacanth, one dram ; water, half a pint ; proof spirit, three ounces ; otto of roses, ten drops. Soak for twenty-four hours, then strain.

Source: Recipes for the Million

Blackberry Syrup, for Cholera and Summer Complaint

Two quarts of blackberry juice.

One pound of loaf sugar.

Half an ounce of nutmegs.

A quarter of an ounce of cloves.

Half an ounce of cinnamon.

Half an ounce of allspice.

Pulverize the spice, and boil all for fifteen or twenty minutes. When cold, add a pint of brandy.

Source: Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book, Catherine Beecher

To Remove Sudden Hoarseness

Take a teaspoonful of sweet spirits of nitre in a wineglassful of water. Or a little salt prunella dissolved slowly in the mouth, or eating a piece of anchovy will generally remove it.

The following will likewise be found very useful: — Spermaceti powder, half an ounce ; gum-arabic powder, half an ounce ; elixir paregoric, three drams ; honey, one tablespoonful. Mix, and take a teaspoonful dissolved in the mouth.

Source: Recipes for the Million

An excellent Gargle for a Sore Throat

Half fill a teapot with dark red rose leaves, pour boiling water over; when cold strain it into a 6 oz. bottle, add a tea-spoonful of tincture of myrrh, and 25 drops of elixir of vitriol: if the throat be ulcerated, a tea-spoonful of tincture of cayenne.

Source: The English Housekeeper, Anne Cobbett

Decoction of Bark

Reduce to a powder one ounce of Peruvian bark, put it into a pint and a half of water ; boil till it is reduced to a pint, then strain. Dose, from one to three ounces. Used in cases of diarrhoea, dysentery, indigestion, debility, &c.

Source: Recipes for the Million

Remedy For Boils

An excellent remedy for boils is water of a temperature agreeable to the feelings of the patient. Apply wet linen to the part affected, and frequently renew or moisten it. It is said to be the most effectual remedy known. Take inwardly some good blood purifier.

Source: The Canadian Family Cookbook, Grace E. Denison

Preventive Against Chilblains

Rub the toes, or other parts of the feet likely to become affected, every morning and night with a mixture of one part camphorated spirit and three parts vinegar.

Source: Recipes for the Million

Tonic for Ague and Low Nervous Fever

To one quart of water add two ounces of bruised lance-leaved Peruvian bark. Boil from ten to fifteen minutes and strain while hot. From one to three ounces to be taken whenever the shivering is felt. Rub the back with equal parts of rum and spirits of turpentine, and keep the bowels open with the following mixture : — Dried sulphate of magnesia, an ounce and a half ; sulphate of soda, six drams ; infusion of senna, fourteen ounces ; tincture of jalap, one ounce, and compound tincture of cardamoms, one ounce. Two tablespoonfuls to be taken every four hours until it operates.

Source: Recipes for the Million