Panacea for Hoarseness

If little ones are hoarse or seem croupy at bedtime, use this mixture: Heat together lard and small portions of camphor, kerosene and turpentine. If cold is tight, saturate a light woolen cloth wath this and apply to throat and chest, bringing down close under arms. Over this put a thin cotton cloth to protect the clothing. It is also well to rub the back with the application. This loosens the croup membrane and in a few minutes the breathing grows easier and the child will sleep.

Source: 1001 Household Hints, Ottilie V. Ames

Colds on the Chest

In the treatment of ordinary colds few remedies are more efficacious than turpentine. It should be mixed with lard and sweet oil in equal proportions and spread upon flannel that has been dipped in very hot water; it should then be placed on the patient’s chest in the form of a plaster.

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

Borage

This plant contains a certain amount of saltpetre, as may be proved by burning a dried leaf. For this reason, it is used with great benefit for the relief of sore throats. The root is rich in gum, and if boiled yields a mucilaginous emulsion, excellent for irritation of the throat and chest. Very violent attacks of toothache, where the nerve has taken cold, are often cured by holding a portion of the leaves, previously boiled in milk, and applied warm, in the mouth, against the affected tooth.

Source: The Universal Cookery Book, Gertrude Strohm

Pneumonia

Wring flannel out of hot strong salt water to which a little vinegar has been added, and lay on the lungs or affected part. Be very careful not to chill while using this, and have the flannel wrung so dry as not to wet the clothes badly. Cover with a dry cloth. This is good in lung fever, or rheumatism.

Source: The Inglenook Cook Book

Elliman’s Embrocation

One new-laid egg well beaten, add to it by degrees one gill turpentine, one gill vinegar, put in alternately one-half ounce spirits of camphor.

Directions for use. — For rheumatism, lumbago, for sore throat, cold in chest, etc., rub in well with hand, night and morning. A flannel may also be soaked in embrocation and put on, covered with a cloth or flannel. Can be used also as a substitute for mustard plaster, as above.

Source: The Canadian Family Cookbook, Grace E. Denison

For Croup

Wring cloths out of hot water, as hot as possible, and put around the throat and cover well. Change two or three times. If this does not relieve, give an emetic. If the child is suffering with a severe attack, give the emetic at once; apply hot water to the throat and rub the chest with sweet oil or lard, and soak the feet in hot water and cover well with woolen, when taken out of the water.

Source: Tried and True Recipes, F.D.P. Jermain

Camphorated Oil

Put into a large bottle four ounces of olive oil and four of spirits of camphor, and shake well. When there is pain in the chest or lungs rub with the camphorated oil. This is excellent to use in case of sprains or bruises.

Source: Miss Parloa’s Young Housekeeper, Maria Parloa

Raspberry Vinegar, and its uses

Put two pounds of raspberries in a large bowl, and pour on them two quarts of white-wine vinegar; the next day, strain the liquor on two pounds of fresh raspberries; let this stand a day, and strain it into a stone jar; to each pint of the liquor put a pound of loaf sugar; stir till it is dissolved, and put the jar in a sauce-pan of water, which keep boiling for an hour; skim it, and bottle it when cold. This is used not only as a refreshing drink, mixed with water, but is said to be of use in complaints of the chest. No glazed or metal vessels should be used in making it.

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

For Colds on the Chest

Rub with embrocation, or camphorated oil, on the throat and chest, afterwards covering them with flannel or Thermogen. Give a cough mixture to relieve the cough. A linseed poultice will become necessary for a case of bronchitis, croup, pneumonia or pleurisy.

Source: Household Management, E. Stoddard Eckford & M.S. Fitzgerald

For a Cold

Take a quarter of a pint of horehound water a quarter of a pint of coltsfoot water a pound of reasons of the Sun Stoned pound the reasons very well then mingle these together then set them on the fire boyle them like marmolet then take it off and put it into 2 ounces of honey and one spoonfull mustard then set it on the fire & let it simer a while then put it into a pot and take as much as y^e quantity of a walnut first in ye morning & last at night.

Source: A Book of Simples, H.W. Lewer