For Epilepsy

Cut a twig of elder tree into nine parts, and string the pieces as a necklace to be tied round the patient’s neck; but should the necklace fall and touch the ground, it must be burned, and a new one made.

Source: Ancient Cures, Charms, and Usages of Ireland, Lady Wilde

Burdock

The value of this plant cannot be too much known for its direct action on the blood, whether for scurvy, skin eruptions, leprosy, scrofula, venereal, ulcers, kidney disease, convulsions, fits, &c. It is invaluable. Two ounces to be used to three pints of water. This simmer down to two pints; take a gill three times a day.

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

Excitement

The common meadow plant, Ladies’ Slipper, used as tea, is good for spasms, hysteria, cramps, nervous headache, fits, neuralgia, hypochondria, fevers, colic, debility, &c., and, wherever it is required to quiet the nervous system, is safer than opium and will act where opium fails. One ounce to a pint of boiling water.

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

A very excellent Receipt against Convulsions which cur’d one had 9 Fitts a Day

Take Race oynions and black pepper of each a little quantity stamp’d pretty small and lay it to y^e soals of y^e feet keep it on 7 houres, whilst y^e party is in y^e fitt force them not to take any thing inwardly but anoynt y^e wrists on y^e inside, y^e palmes of y^e hands, y^e Temples and y^e nostrills (if it be a childe) with Methridate (if not) with oyle or spirit of Amber, between y^e fitts let it drinke black cherrey water sweetned with syrrop of Cloves & syrrop of Pyonies for a weeks time after y^e fitts first and last let them ware a necklace of single pyonie roots alwayes about theire neck, avoid giving syrrop of Violets if you fear fitts, but syrrop of Roses and Succory is good to be given together when costive this may be given to children of any age.

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

Virtues of Turpentine

After a housekeeper fully realizes the worth of turpentine in the household, she is never willing to be without a supply of it.

1 — It gives quick relief to burns.

2 — It is an excellent application for corns.

3 — It is good for rheumatism and for sore-throats.

4 — It is the quickest remedy for convulsions or fits by applying to the back of the neck.

5 — It is a sure preventive against moths; by just dropping a trifle in the bottom of drawers, chests and wardrobes, it will render the garments secure from injury during the summer.

6 — It will keep ants and bugs from closets and storerooms by putting a few drops in the corners and shelves. It is sure destruction to bed-bugs and will effectually drive them away from their haunts, if thoroughly applied to all the joints of the bedstead in the spring cleaning time, and injures neither furniture nor clothing.

7 — A little in suds washing day lightens laundry labor.

Source: 1001 Household Hints, Ottilie V. Ames

Epileptic Pills

Take sulphate of zinc, sixty grains; rhubarb and ipecac, each thirty grains; cayenne, sixty grains. Make into sixty pills with extract of hyoscyamus. Dose: One pill night and morning for one week, then leave off for a week, and then resume again, and so on every other week. An important remedy, and has cured many cases of epileptic fits when taken in the early stages.

Source: The Ladies’ Book Of Useful Information

Nervousness, Five Ingredient Remedy That Relieves

“In extreme nervous debility with tendency to fainting fits, use the following:

Spirits of Camphor 1/2 ounce
Aromatic Spirits of Ammonia 1/2 ounce
Spirits of Lavender Compound 1 ounce
Tincture Valerian 1 ounce
Tincture Castor 1 ounce

Mix.

Dose.– From one to three teaspoonfuls at intervals of from fifteen minutes to three hours, according to urgency of symptoms. This mixture should be kept on hand by all persons subject to fainting fits.”

Spirits of camphor and aromatic spirits of ammonia stimulates the heart, while the tincture of valerian quiets the nervous system.

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