Another Remedy for Scarlet Fever

Undress the child and put it to bed at the very first sign of sickness. Give it, if it has already fever, sourish warm lemonade, with some gum arabic in it. Then cover the abdomen with some dry flannel. Take a well-folded bed-sheet and put it in boiling hot water ; wring it out by means of dry towels, and put this over the whole and wait. The hot cloth will perhaps require repeated heating, according to the severity of the case and its stage of progress. Perspiration will commence in the child in from ten minutes to two hours. The child then is saved ; it soon falls to sleep. Soon after the child awakes it shows slight symptoms of returning inclination for food ; if necessary give injections of oil, or soap and water, and its recovery will be as steady as the growth of a green-house plant if well treated. If the above treatment is applied in due time under the eyes and direction of a competent physician, it is said that not one in a hundred children will ever die of scarlet fever.

Source: The Housekeeper’s Friend: A Practical Cookbook

Flax-Seed Lemonade

To a large table-spoonful of flax-seed allow a tumbler and a half of cold water. Boil them together till the liquid becomes very sticky. Then strain it hot over a quarter of a pound of pulverized sugar candy, and an ounce of pulverized gum arabic. Stir it till quite dissolved, and squeeze into it the juice of a lemon.

This mixture has frequently been found an efficacious remedy for a cold; taking a wine-glass of it as often as the cough is troublesome.

Source: Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches, Eliza Leslie

Bran Tea: a Remedy for Colds, etc.

Boil a large handful of bran in a quart of water for ten minutes, then strain off the water into a jug, sweeten it with one ounce of gum arabic and a good spoonful of honey; stir all well together, and give this kind of drink in all cases of affections of the chest, such as colds, catarrhs, consumption, etc., and also for the measles.

Source: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, C.E. Francatelli

Hair Dye

Nitric acid, one part ; nitrate of silver, ten parts ; sap green, nine parts ; powdered gum arabic, two parts ; water, three hundred parts ; essence musii, one or two drops to each bottle. Mix. In all cases, first free the hair from grease, by soap and water. All hair dyes must be applied by means of moistening a comb with them, and passing it through the hair, observing not to touch the skin with the dye.

Source: Valuable Receipts, J.M. Prescott

Remedy for a Cough

Five cents worth of rock candy, five cents worth of gum arabic, five cents worth of licorice, all dissolved in a pint of water over a slow fire. When cold add five cents worth of paregoric, and five cents worth of syrup of ipecac; bottle and take a teaspoonful several times a day.

Source: The Housekeeper’s Friend: A Practical Cookbook

Bleeding at the Nose

Roll up a piece of paper and press it under the upper lip. In obstinate cases, blow a little gum arabic up the nostril through a quill, which will immediately stop the discharge; powdered alum, dissolved in water, is also good. Pressure by the finger over the small artery near the ala (wing) of the nose on the side where the blood is flowing, is said to arrest the hemorrhage immediately. Sometimes by wringing a cloth out of very hot water and laying it on the back of the neck, gives relief. Napkins wrung out of cold water must be laid across the forehead and nose, the hands dipped in cold water, and a bottle of hot water applied to the feet.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Restorative Jelly

One-half box gelatine, 1 cup port wine, 1 tablespoon of powdered gum arabic, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 cloves. Put all together in a glass jar, and cover closely. Place the jar on a trivet in a kettle of cold water. Heat it slowly and when the mixture is dissolved, stir well and strain. Pour into a shallow dish, and when cool cut it into small squares. This is good for an old person or a very weak patient.

Source: Tested Recipe Cook Book, Mrs H.L. Wilson

Brown Mixture For Coughs

Dissolve one ounce of gum arabic, one ounce of licorice, and one ounce of brown sugar-candy, in half a pint of boiling water. When cold, add one ounce of elixir of paregoric, and one-half an ounce of antimonial wine. Take a tablespoonful of this mixture whenever the cough is troublesome, and upon going to bed.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

Flax-Seed Lemonade

To a large tablespoonful of flax-seed, allow a tumbler and a half of cold water. Boil them together till the liquid becomes very sticky. Then strain it hot over a quarter of a pound of pulverized sugar, and an ounce of pulverized gum arabic. Stir it till quite dissolved, and squeeze into it the juice of a lemon.

This mixture has frequently been found an efficacious remedy for a cold, taking a wine-glass of it as often as the cough is troublesome.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Ague Pills

Take quinine, twenty grains; piperine, ten grains; Dover’s Powder, ten grains; cayenne, ten grains. Mix, pulverize, and make into twenty pills with a little gum arabic or extract of gentian or boneset. To be taken at the rate of one pill an hour when there is no fever, or during intermission, until twelve pills are taken, the balance to be taken on the third day or next well day. Good as a remedy for the chills or fever and ague.

Source: The Ladies’ Book of Useful Information.