Hop Bitters

Hops four ozs., Orange Peel two ozs., Cardamon two drms., Cinnamon one drm., Cloves one-half drm., Alcohol eight ozs., Sherry Wine two pints, Simple Syrup one pint. Water sufficient. Grind the drugs, macerate in the Alcohol and Wine for one week, percolate and add enough syrup and water to make one gallon.

Source: One Thousand Secrets of Wise and Rich Men Revealed, C. A. Bogardus

Cologne

Put into a bottle half an ounce of oil of lavender, one drachm of oil of rosemary, two of essence of lemon, two of essence of bergamot, forty drops of oil of cinnamon, and a little musk, if you like it; pour on it three pints of best alcohol.

Source: Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers, Elizabeth E. Lea

Cough Drops

Tinc. Aconite 5 drops, Tinc. Asclepias one drm., Glycerine two ozs., Syrup of Wild Cherry. Mix and take a teaspoonful every 40 minutes until relieved.

Source: One Thousand Secrets of Wise and Rich Men Revealed, C. A. Bogardus

For Colic

Drink strong ginger tea, while hot, and put hot bricks to the stomach and feet; if this does not give relief, take a dose of rhubarb or castor oil. Persons subject to the colic should keep a piece of ginger about them to chew after eating; wear flannel next the skin, and be careful to keep the feet dry: they should avoid strong coffee and tea, and eat nothing that disagrees with them. Dry toast without butter, and crackers, are good for persons that have the colic. For violent cases, take two table-spoonsful of brandy, and half a tea-spoonful of black pepper.

Source: Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers, Elizabeth E. Lea

Mustard Bath for the Feet

It gives relief to a bad cold in the early stages, to soak the feet in warm water, in which you have put half a tea cup of salt and two tablespoonsful of pulverized mustard, and to drink ginger tea. You may keep your feet in the bath for half an hour, and then retire with a warm soap stone wrapped in a cloth and placed near them. A soap stone, the size of a brick will, when thoroughly heated, keep warm till morning, and is invaluable for an elderly person or one that suffers with cold feet.

Source: Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers, Elizabeth E. Lea

Bowels, Pain In

To relieve an attack of this complaint take a teaspoonful of spirit of nutmeg, and a like quantity of spirit of ginger in water, and apply hot fomentations sprinkled with turpentine.

Source: Fray’s Golden Recipes for the use of all ages, E. Fray

A Cure for Warts or any other Excrescence

On the third day of the increase of the moon, in the evening you see the new moon for the first time: then take out your patient and putting your finger on the wart and looking up to the new moon, speak as follows: what I look upon is increasing and what I now touch is decreasing: after repeating this three times walk home again.

Source: Recipes: Information for Everybody, J.F. Landis

Dock Ointment

A favourite country remedy of great value in the treatment of skin diseases. Clean and bruise half-a-pound of common yellow dock root, simmer for two hours in three gills of water, strain and evaporate to half a tea-cupful. Add gradually six ounces of prepared lard and an ounce of yellow wax, which have been previously melted together. Stir the whole till cold, and apply freely.

Source: Fray’s Golden Recipes for the use of all ages, E. Fray

For Sore Throat

Make a gargle of cayenne pepper, honey and spirits, or sage tea, with alum and honey, or figs boiled, mashed and strained, and use it once in two hours. If it is very bad, steam the mouth with a funnel held over hot vinegar, and put on a hot poultice of hops, boiled in weak ley and thickened with corn-meal; there should be a little lard spread over; renew it every time it gets cold. Another very good poultice, is hot mush strewed with powdered camphor; put it on as hot as can be borne, and change it when cold. A purgative should be given, either of senna and salts, castor oil; or rhubarb and soap pills. An emetic is of great importance, and has caused the throat to break when persons have been very ill.

Sore throats have been cured when quinsy was apprehended, by using powdered camphor and lard on flannel. It is a good way, when persons are subject to it, to keep an ounce of camphor mixed with lard, in a wide-mouthed bottle, or jar; and corked tight. The cayenne pepper and honey gargle should also be kept ready mixed, and used when the first symptoms appear; or in a violent attack, a plaster of snuff and lard may be applied with benefit, keeping it on only a few minutes at a time. Sometimes a bag of hot ashes sprinkled with vinegar, and applied hot as can be borne, has cured a sore throat in one night. Persons that have been afflicted for years with repeated attacks of sore throat and quinsy, have been cured by bathing the throat, neck and ears with cold water every morning. The constant use of the shower bath is very important. Keep the feet warm.

Source: Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers, Elizabeth E. Lea

A Cure for the Retention of the Urine

Any person that cannot make his water, may take a little cinquefoil, a few plantain leaves with the root, and a little sheep’s dung, and drink it as a tea.

Tea, made of nettles, is a good remedy also for the above complaint.

Source: Recipes: Information for Everybody, J.F. Landis