Hiccough, Cinchona Bark in Peppermint Stops

“Put about one-fourth teaspoonful of cinchona bark, powdered in two ounces of peppermint water, and give one teaspoonful every five or ten minutes until relieved, or three drops of camphor and aqua ammonia in wineglassful of water,” These remedies are very good when the stomach is at fault, as they have a stimulating effect.

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

Headaches in Childhood

Headaches in childhood should always be looked upon as a matter for serious inquiry and care; for they may be excited by very many causes. Even the headaches of children are divided into various classes; thus there is the school headache, the headache which is peculiar to periods of rapid growth, the headache which is caused by bloodlessness and nervous exhaustion, and that which is peculiar to any strain. The exciting causes are generally excessive fatigue, exhaustion of mind or nerve, digestive disorder, changes in the weather, badly heated and ill-ventilated rooms, want of exercise, poverty of the blood, or disorder of the blood by various impurities developed in the system, over-work, excitement, undue exposure to heat or cold, colds in the nose and back of the throat, or decayed teeth.

Headaches caused by bloodlessness should give rise to careful investigation of the diet, and lead one as a rule to decide that plenty of blood-making food, such as meat broths, green vegetables, and iron tonics are required, while a great deal of outdoor exercise is needed. It must be remembered that not every pale-faced child is suffering from poverty of the blood, and that some who are well supplied with fat may have poor blood. If the child is really suffering in this way, the insides of the eyelids and gums are invariably of a pale yellowish colour; the colour of the lips and cheeks does not afford so good a test.

When a child complains of headache after study, or using the eyes over close work, such as writing, drawing, or sewing, it should certainly be taken to an oculist, for very often the use of glasses is imperative, owing to some defect in the eyes, which, not uncommonly, is that the sight of one eye is different to that of the other.

Children who indulge in over-eating or careless eating may be relieved either by spontaneous vomiting, or the mother should give an emetic or aperient. Headaches caused by chronic cold are, of course, only to be removed by treatment of this complaint, and the same may be said of those due to decayed teeth, or to the pressure on the nerves by over-crowding of the jaw.

Nervous headaches in the children of parents who suffer from rheumatism or gout depend much on the weather, and yield to anti-rheumatic treatment, especially warmth and warm bathing with the use of sulphur.

For headaches caused by dyspepsia, is is often desirable to peptonise the food, and to assist the stomach by small doses of camomile or calumba infusion before meals. Hysterical and imitative headaches are sometimes found in children of parents who suffer in a similar way, and in those accustomed to associate with people complaining of headache. In these cases the treatment is, of course, mainly moral; but the patient often also requires tonics, good food, gymnastics, bathing and outdoor exercise.

For the external treatment of headaches of most kinds hot foot baths, or mustard foot baths are of great service, with the application of a mustard plaster for a few minutes to the back of the neck; while to the seat of the pain menthol or chloral and camphor may be applied; and either hot or cold applications or gentle rubbing of the head, also often give immense relief.

Source: Home Notes, January 1895

Tooth Powder

A quarter of an ounce of bole armoniac; a quarter of an ounce of bark; a quarter of an ounce of powdered camphor; a quarter of an ounce of powdered myrrh.

Mix the ingredients very thoroughly together. Tooth powders should be kept closely covered in wooden boxes.

The prescription is for equal quantities of the above ingredients, but one ounce of the whole mixed is enough at a time, unless a chemist is not of easy access.

Source: Warne’s Model Cookery and Housekeeping Book, Mary Jewry

A Winter Soap for Chapped or Rough Hands

Three pounds of common yellow soap; one ounce of camphor dissolved in one ounce of rose and one ounce of lavender water.

Beat three pounds of common yellow soap, and one ounce of camphor dissolved in one ounce of rose and one ounce of lavender water in a mortar until it becomes a paste. Make it into balls to dry, and set it in a cool place for the winter. The best time to make it is in the spring.

Source: Warne’s Model Cookery and Housekeeping Book, Mary Jewry

Bronchitis, Camphorated Oil and Steaming for

“Bathe the chest and throat up around the head with camphorated oil; drink water and steam the throat and mouth over hot water. Have tried this recipe and found it effectual. Have a bronchial cough now and am treating it myself.” The camphorated oil seems to have a very soothing effect upon the chest, in fact it acts about the same as camphor and lard, only is more pleasant to use, and can be bought already prepared. Drinking plenty of water cleanses the system by acting upon the stomach, bowels and kidneys, carrying off the impurities. The breathing of steam is very soothing and healing to the throat and air passages.

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

Sore throat, Home Made salve for

“Beeswax 1 ounce
Rosin 1 ounce
Camphor gum 1 ounce
Lard about the size of an egg.”

Mix the above ingredients together and apply to the outside of the throat. This causes the skin to become red thus drawing the inflammation out of the throat and relieving the trouble.

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

Techniques: To Powder Substances

Place the substance in the mortar, and strike it gently with direct perpendicular blows of the pestle, until it separates into several pieces, then remove all but a small portion, which bruise gently at first, and rub the pestle round and round the mortar, observing that the circles described by the pestle should gradually decrease in diameter, and then increase again, because by this means every part of the powder is subjected to the process of pulverization.

Some substances require to be prepared in a particular manner before they can be powdered, or to be assisted by adding some other body. For example, camphor powders more easily when a few drops of spirits of wine are added to it; mace, nutmeg and such oily aromatic substances are better for the addition of a little white sugar; resins and gum-resins should be powdered in a cold place, and if they are intended to be dissolved, a little fine well-washed white sand mixed with them assists the process of powdering. Tough roots, like gentian and calumba, should be cut into thin slices; and fibrous roots like ginger, cut slanting, otherwise the powder will be full of small fibres. Vegetable matter, such as peppermint, loosestrife, senna, &c., requires to be dried before it is powdered.

Be careful not to pound too hard in glass, porcelain or Wedgwoodware mortars; they are intended only for substances that pulverize easily, and for the purpose of mixing or incorporating medicines. Never use acids in a marble mortar, and be sure that you do not powder galls or any other astringent substance in any but a brass mortar.

Source: Enquire Within Upon Everything

For Rheumatism

Persons are liable to have the rheumatism from taking cold in the winter. Where the pain is most violent, put on plasters of Burgundy pitch, spread on leather. Persons that are subject to it, should always keep pitch in the house to use, as it will give relief; a silk handkerchief tied round the joint, keeps it warm and relieves stiffness. If the pain is in the back part of the head, put a blister on the neck, by all means. When persons have a bad spell of rheumatism, they should always take medicine, and avoid eating meat for a few days. Equal parts of rhubarb and castile soap, made into pills, with a little water, is a valuable medicine for rheumatism, and suits aged persons; the pills should be taken at night on going to bed. They are easily made, and should always be at hand: it is valuable as a cathartic in almost every case where mild medicine is necessary. The use of the shower bath is also beneficial. Flannel should always be worn next the skin, and the feet kept dry. Bathing with camphor sometimes relieves the pain, but there is a danger of driving it to a more vital part. Salt and water is useful to bathe for the rheumatism, when it is of long-standing.

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

Camphorated Dentifrice

Prepared chalk, one pound; camphor, one or two drachms. The camphor must be finely powdered, moisten it with a little spirit of wine, and then intimately mix it with the chalk.

Source: Enquire Within Upon Everything.