Cough Syrup
Take horehound herb, elecampane root, spikenard root, ginseng root, black cohosh, and skunk cabbage root, of each a good-sized handful. Bruise and cover with spirits or whisky, and let stand ten days; then put all in a suitable vessel, add about four quarts of water and simmer slowly over a fire (but don’t boil) for twelve hours, or till reduced to about three pints, then strain and add one pint of strained honey, half a pint each of number six, tincture lobelia, and tincture bloodroot (the vinegar or acetic tincture of bloodroot is the best) and four ounces of strong essence of anise, and you will have one of the best cough syrups known. Dose: A tablespoonful three to six times a day, according to circumstances. Good in all kinds of coughs and incipient consumption.
Source: The Ladies’ Book of Useful Information
Hot Lemonade for Diarrhea
Some people prefer hot lemonade to the usual form, but it is only recently that we have seen it recommended in diarrhea. Dr. Vigouroux recommends a glass of hot lemonade every hour, or half hour, as an easy, agreeable, and efficient treatment for diarrhea.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
Cure for a Felon
Mix well one teaspoonful of burnt salt, one teaspoonful of Indian meal, and the yolk of one egg, ten drops of spirits of turpentine, a small quantity of home made lye soap, shaved fine. Apply as a poultice for twenty-four hours. If applied early, it will certainly effect a cure.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
Warts – To Remove
Apply oil of cinnamon to the wart for three successive days, and it will disappear very shortly.
Source: Mrs Owens’ Cook Book and Useful Household Hints, Frances Owens
For a Cough
An excellent remedy for a cough is made by slicing two lemons thin and adding to them ten cents’ worth of whole flaxseed, ten cents’ worth of licorice root, ore gill of water, and a little sugar. Boil until quite thick and strain.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
Rosemary for remembrance
The BBC report that the smell of rosemary has been shown to improve “future memory” — that is, remembering to do things in the future — and that the smell of lavender impairs this type of memory.
Other remedies reputed to improve memory:
French Lip Salve
Lard, twenty-six ounces; white wax, two ounces; nitre and alum in fine powder, of each one-half ounce; alkanet to color.
Source: The Ladies’ Book Of Useful Information
Milk Soothes Sunburnt or Rough Skin
There is nothing that will more quickly soothe a sunburnt skin than a frequent bath of milk, and if the skin has become dry or rough with wind, washing in warm milk is excellent.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
For Colic
For colic, or pain in the bowels, take two large, thick dinnerplates, put into hot water, let heat until you cannot bear your hand on them, then wrap one in a thin towel and lay over the seat of pain, changing as often as the plate grows cool. This is much easier than wringing cloths from hot water and quite as efficacious a remedy.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
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