Ingredients: Balm

The herb Balm, or Melissa, which is cultivated quite commonly in our cottage gardens, has its origin in the wild, or bastard Balm, growing in our woods, especially in the South of England, and bearing the name of “Mellitis.” Each is a labiate plant, and “Bawme,” say the Arabians, “makes the heart merry and joyful.” The title, “Balm,” is an abbreviation of Balsam, which signifies “the chief of sweet-smelling oils;” Hebrew, Bal smin, “chief of oils”; and the botanical suffix, Melissa, bears reference to the large quantity of honey (mel) contained in the flowers of this herb.

When cultivated, it yields from its leaves and tops an essential oil which includes a chemical principle, or “stearopten.” “The juice of Balm,” as Gerard tells us, “glueth together greene wounds,” and the leaves, say both Pliny and Dioscorides, “being applied, do close up woundes without any perill of inflammation.” It is now known as a scientific fact that the balsamic oils of aromatic plants make most excellent surgical dressings. They give off ozone, and thus exercise anti-putrescent effects. Moreover, as chemical “hydrocarbons,” they contain so little oxygen, that in wounds dressed with the fixed balsamic herbal oils, the atomic germs of disease are starved out. Furthermore, the resinous parts of these balsamic oils, as they dry upon the sore or wound, seal it up, and effectually exclude all noxious air. So the essential oils of balm, peppermint, lavender, and the like, with pine oil, resin of turpentine, and the balsam of benzoin (Friars’ Balsam) should serve admirably for ready application on lint or fine rag to cuts and superficial sores. In domestic surgery, the lamentation of Jeremiah falls to the ground: “Is there no balm in Gilead: is there no physician there?” Concerning which “balm of Gilead,” it may be here told that it was formerly of great esteem in the East as a medicine, and as a fragrant unguent. It was the true balsam of Judea, which at one time grew nowhere else in the whole world but at Jericho. But when the Turks took the Holy Land, they transplanted this balsam to Grand Cairo, and guarded its shrubs most jealously by Janissaries during the time the balsam was flowing.

In the “Treacle Bible,” 1584, Jeremiah viii., v. 22, this passage is rendered: “Is there not treacle at Gylead?” Venice treacle, or triacle, was a famous antidote in the middle ages to all animal poisons. It was named Theriaca (the Latin word for our present treacle) from the Greek word Therion, a small animal, in allusion to the vipers which were added to the triacle by Andromachus, physician to the emperor Nero.

Tea made of our garden balm, by virtue of the volatile oil, will prove restorative, and will promote perspiration if taken hot on the access of a cold or of influenza; also, if used in like manner, it will help effectively to bring on the delayed monthly flow with women. But an infusion of the plant made with cold water, acts better as a remedy for hysterical headache, and as a general nervine stimulant because the volatile aromatic virtues are not dispelled by heat. Formerly, a spirit of balm, combined with lemon peel, nutmeg, and angelica-root, enjoyed a great reputation as a restorative cordial under the name of Carmelite water. Paracelsus thought so highly of balm that he believed it would completely revivify a man, as primum ens melissoe. The London Dispensatory of 1696 said: “The essence of balm given in Canary wine every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature, and prevent baldness.” “Balm,” adds John Evelyn, “is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory, and powerfully chasing away melancholy.” In France, women bruise the young shoots of balm, and make them into cakes, with eggs, sugar, and rose water, which they give to mothers in childbed as a strengthener.

It is fabled that the Jew Ahasuerus (who refused a cup of water to our Saviour on His way to Golgotha, and was therefore doomed to wander athirst until Christ should come again) on a Whitsuntide evening, asked for a draught of small beer at the door of a Staffordshire cottager who was far advanced in consumption. He got the drink, and out of gratitude advised the sick man to gather in the garden three leaves of Balm, and to put them into a cup of beer. This was to be repeated every fourth day for twelve days, the refilling of the cup to be continued as often as might be wished; then “the disease shall be cured and thy body altered.” So saying, the Jew departed and was never seen there again. But the cottager obeyed the injunction, and at the end of the twelve days had become a sound man.

Source: Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure, William Thomas Fernie

Pin worms, Quassia chips for

“I knew of a child who had not slept three hours a night for several months, and several doctors had been called and none of them seemed to get down to the real trouble. Finally the mother tried an injection made by steeping quassia chips for two or three hours slowly, then straining it and injecting about one pint (luke warm) once a day. This gave the child immediate relief and improvement could be seen within a week.”

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

News: Home remedies passed down through generations

“Home remedies: We asked, and you answered.

It seems every family has one or two favorites. Many of them incorporate vinegar, salt, whiskey, Vicks VapoRub or honey. Some have been passed down for generations.”

Full story: Utica Observer-Dispatch, 7th February 2008

News: ‘Suspicious powder’ was herbal remedy

“A suspicious package which caused alarm at a Post Office depot in Preston turned out to be a herbal remedy, police have said.

Staff alerted police after they found a sealed plastic bag with pink powder in it at the Royal Mail Delivery Office in Christian Road.”

Full story: Fleetwood Today, 8h February 2008

Blowing into the Ear

Remember that by blowing forcibly into the ear, great assistance is given in coughing up anything which a person has imperfectly swallowed, and which threatens to choke him.

Source: Home Notes, January 1895.

Lameness, Chloroform Liniment for

“Chloroform liniment is the best for all lameness and sore limbs.”

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

Madness

Madness is infection of the foremost cell of the head, with privation of imagination, like as melancholy is the infection of the middle cell of the head, with privation of reason.

Madness cometh sometime of passions of the soul, as of business and of great thoughts, of sorrow and of too great study, and of dread: sometime of the biting of a wood hound, or some other venomous beast: sometime of melancholy meats, and sometime of drink of strong wine. And as the causes be diverse, the tokens and signs be diverse. For some cry and leap and hurt and wound themselves and other men, and darken and hide themselves in privy and secret places. The medicine of them is, that they be bound, that they hurt not themselves and other men. And namely, such shall be refreshed, and comforted, and withdrawn from cause and matter of dread and busy thoughts. And they must be gladded with instruments of music, and somedeal be occupied.

Source: Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus, Robert Steele

Sleeplessness, Hop Pillow Stops

“People affected in this way will be very much benefited by the use of a pillow composed of hops, or cup of warm hop tea on retiring. The hops have a very soothing effect upon the nerves.”

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

Articular Rheumatism

A gentleman sends us the following treatment for articular rheumatism and writes as follows: “I send you the following treatment for articular rheumatism because I used it myself and was cured in a very short time, in fact, about ten days. It was a number of years ago in the early spring when my knee joints, ankles and wrists began to pain me and continued to become worse for about a week, at the end of which time both my knees were perfectly stiff. I sent for my physician; he wrapped my knees with common baking soda; taking long wide bandages he was enabled to have the baking soda a fourth of an inch thick around the knee, raising the bandage as he laid the soda on; after this was completed I had heavy wet hot cloths laid around my knee and renewed every fifteen or twenty minutes for probably eight or ten hours. In the meantime I was taking the salicylate of soda and the cathartic, veronica water, as directed below. The following day I sat up with my legs resting on a chair, straightened out, and hot flat irons at my knees. I began this treatment on Saturday, and the following Thursday was able to walk about and go out of town, and never had rheumatism since, but at two or three different times I suspected it was coming on and used the salicylate of soda and veronica water as a successful preventive; at least the rheumatism did not materialize.

Veronica Water.– Dose:– Glassful every two and one-half hours till bowels are free, then one dose a day.

Also
Salicylate of Soda 1 ounce
Water 6 ounces

Large teaspoonful every two hours with a quinine pill every other dose.”

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

Erysipelas, Copperas Liniment for

“A few cents’ worth of common copperas. Make a solution and keep applying it. This kills the poison as it comes on and relieves the pain. I knew of a very bad case to be cured by this treatment.”

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