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

Lozenges for Offensive Breath

Gum kino, half an ounce; catechu, one ounce; white sugar, three ounces; orris powder, three-quarters of an ounce. Make into a paste with mucilage, and add a drop of neroli.

Source: Recipes for the Million

Bandoline: or, Hair Fixature

Gum tragacanth, one dram ; water, half a pint ; proof spirit, three ounces ; otto of roses, ten drops. Soak for twenty-four hours, then strain.

Source: Recipes for the Million

Excellent Cough Mixture

One cup of gum, one cup of honey, one cup of lemon juice, one ounce of glycerine; mix well, bottle, and take one teaspoonful when cough is troublesome.

Source: The Canadian Family Cookbook, Grace E. Denison

A Wash For The Hair

Put a teaspoonful of powdered Borax, with half a teaspoonful of powdered gum camphor in a quart of boiling water ; let it stand for a few minutes, then bottle. When using it, shake well before rubbing on the hair.

Source: The Kentucky Housewife, Mrs Peter A. White

For Tooth-Ache

Take a piece of soft muslin or lawn, about two inches long and one and a quarter inches wide, lay a little dry powdered ginger in the centre and fold over the sides and ends and sew it in place. Put this between the cheek and gum, and it will almost invariably ease the pain. These can be made larger or smaller, and will stay in place night or day.

Source: Two Hundred and Fifty Recipes, Grace Church Sewing Circle

Lotion for Chapped Hands

Soak 1/8 oz gum tragacanth in one pint soft water for three days, or until quite soft, then add to it one gill alcohol, 1 gill glycerine, and 1/4 gill cologne. Shake well and it is ready for use.

Source: Book of Recipes, Daughters of the American Revolution, Genesee Chapter

Bleeding of Gums

Rinse mouth with alum water — 1 teaspoon powdered alum in a glass of ice water; or 1 tsp. tincture of myrrh in 1 tbsp. water.

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

“Gum Boils” or “Canker Sores”

So-called “gum boils” or “canker sores” are little ulcer-like sores which at times appear in children’s mouths, caused by disarrangement of the stomach. Local applications, such as borax or powdered alum, shrink the sores and give a little relief; but the child should be given a dose of calcined magnesia at night or citrate of magnesia in the morning. (Never give a small dose of citrate of magnesia; a child of twelve years should take a tumblerful.)

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

French Polish

Take a quarter of an ounce of gum sandarac and a quarter of an ounce of gum mastic; pick the dirt and black lumps out very carefully, and pound them in a mortar quite fine; put them into a bottle, and add to them a quartern (old measure) of strong spirit of wine; cork it down and put it in a warm place; shake it frequently till the gum is entirely dissolved, which will be in about twenty-four hours.

Before using it, be careful to ascertain that no grease is on the furniture, as grease would prevent its receiving the polish. If the furniture has been previously cleaned with bees’-wax or oil, it must be got off by scraping, which is the best way, but difficult to those who do not perfectly understand it, because if you are not very careful, you may scratch the surface, and create more expense than a workman would charge to do it properly at first. Or it may be done by scouring well with sand and water, and afterward rubbed quite smooth with fine glass paper, being careful to do it with the grain of the wood. To apply the polish, you must have a piece of list or cloth twisted, and tied round quite tight, and left even at one end, which should be covered with a piece of fine linen cloth; then pour a little of the polish on the furniture, and rub it well all over till it is worked into the grain of the wood, and begins to look quite smooth; then take a soft fine cloth, or what is better, an old silk handkerchief, and keep rubbing lightly until the polish is complete, which will take two or three hours. It will greatly help the polish if it is done near a fire.

If it does not look so smooth and clear as it should, a little sweet oil rubbed lightly over, and cleaned off directly, will greatly heighten it. If any part of the furniture has carving about it, where it will be impossible to polish, it must be done with mastic varnish, and a camel’s hair brush, after the rest is finished.

When the polish begins to look dull, it may be recovered with a little spirit of wine.

Source: The Cook’s Oracle and Housekeeper’s Manual, W.M. Kitchener