For Aching Feet

Any one who has aching feet, if the feet are placed in kerosene for about ten minutes each day will receive the greatest relief. If used regularly for a month is said to cure all corns and callous places on the feet. Will not blister or do any injury.

Source: The Just-Wed Cook Book

Chilblains

Due to bad circulation in the parts affected — the hands, feet, and ears. A person addicted to chilblains should wear thick, warm underclothing on arms and legs, and avoid garters or anything which tends to check the circulation. As the blood comes very near the surface at the wrists, it will be less chilled before entering the hands if woollen wristlets be worn indoors in cold weather. Thick-soled boots, lined with cork “socks”, will help to prevent chilblains in the feet when standing about in cold, damp weather. Cold draughts round the feet indoors, and standing on cold flooring while dressing and undressing are productive of chilblains in the toes. Daily baths as cold as suits, followed by brisk rubbing, and plenty of exercise and good food, will do a great deal to keep chilblains at bay. If they appear, however, bathing in hot water, followed by squeezing of the swellings with the fingers and the application of camphorated oil, helps to stop the itching. Broken chilblains should be treated like chapped hands. In cases where the cracks are very feep care must be taken to prevent infection by dressing with boracic lint and powder like other open wounds.

Source: The Complete Household Adviser

Corns – A Sure Cure and Painless Eradication

Extract of Cannabis Indicus ten grs., Salicylic Acid 6 grs., Collodion one oz. Mix and apply with a camel’s hair pencil so as to form a thick covering over the corn for 3 or 4 nights. Take a hot foot bath and the corn can easily be removed with the aid of a knife.

Source: One Thousand Secrets of Wise and Rich Men Revealed, C. A. Bogardus

Corn Remedy

Soak a piece of copper in strong vinegar for twelve or twenty-four hours. Pour the liquid off, and bottle. Apply frequently, till the corn is removed.

Source: Our Knowledge Box, ed. G. Blackie

Chilblains

Pour kerosene oil in a saucer, wring out a rag in it and with this wipe the affected parts several times each day. If awake in the night, do the same thing. Do not saturate the cloth and lay it upon the chilblains, as it might cause a blister. Wipe the feet with a dampened cloth and let them dry themselves.

Source: 1001 Household Hints, Ottilie V. Ames

Salt Tonic

When you come in from a long, tiresome walk, try giving the feet a hot footbath of salt water, while you sip a cup of warm milk with a pinch of salt in it. A daily bath of salt water or a rub from a salt towel will prove wonders for nervous people.

Source: 1001 Household Hints, Ottilie V. Ames

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

Nails (Ingrowing)

Scrape surface — a piece of glass is good for this purpose. Cut in V-shape. Pack absorbent cotton under affected side. Paint with iodine.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer

To Break Up A Cold

When you feel the first symptoms, take a Dover’s powder with a glass of hot lemonade or whisky punch, go to bed, wrap up warm, and by morning you will be entirely relieved. In addition the feet should be bathed in hot mustard water.

Source: The Housekeeper’s Friend: A Practical Cookbook

Corns

For soft corn, apply vaseline.

For hard corn, apply iodine and remove pressure by using corn plaster.

For a very sore corn, use a bread poultice at night.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer