The Best Cough Syrup

For making the best cough syrup, take 1 oz of thoroughworth; 1 oz of slippery elm; 1 oz of stick licorice; and 1 oz of flax seed; simmer together in 1 qt of water until the strength is entirely extracted. Strain carefully, add 1 pt of best molasses and 1/2 lb of loaf sugar; simmer them all well together, and when cold bottle tight. This is the cheapest, best, and safest medicine now or ever in use.

A few doses of one tablespoon at a time will alleviate the most distressing cough of the lungs, soothes and allays irritation, and if continued, subdues any tendency to consumption; breaks up entirely the whooping cough, and no better remedy can be found for croup, asthma, bronchitis, and all affections of the lungs and throat. Thousands of precious lives may be saved every year by this cheap and simple remedy, as well as thousands of dollars which would otherwise be spent in the purchase of nostrums which are both useless and dangerous.

Source: Dr Chase’s Recipes, or Information for Everybody, A.W. Chase

Pneumonia, Home Remedy for

“This can easily be relieved by the use of cayenne and vapor bath. This promotes the circulation in every part of the body, diminishing the pressure upon the lungs. These baths produce a regular circulation throughout the whole body, thus relieving the pressure upon the lungs by decreasing the amount of blood in the lungs. These baths should be taken but once a day, as they are weakening.”

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

Pneumonia, Hot Vinegar Applications for

“Over the lungs lay cloths wet in clear hot vinegar. They should be five or six inches square and several thicknesses. Over the cloths lay a hot plate or hot water bottle; change as often as necessary to keep them hot. This treatment will soon give relief, after which rub as much oil into the lungs as possible.”

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

Pneumonia, Herb Tea and Poultice for

“Congestion of the lungs. One ounce of each of the following, slippery elm bark, crushed thyme, coltsfoot flowers, hyssop or marshmallow. Simmer in two quarts of water down to three pints; strain and add one teaspoonful of cayenne. Dose:– Wineglassful every half hour. Apply hot bran poultices or chamomile scalded in vinegar, changing often until the violence of the symptoms abate. If the bowels are confined, give an injection of half pint of hot water in which one-half teaspoonful each of gum myrrh, turkey rhubarb and ginger powder have been well mixed. If possible give vapor bath. Apply hot stones or bottles to the feet.”

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

Frenzy

These be the signs of frenzy, woodness and continual waking, moving and casting about the eyes, raging, stretching, and casting out of hands, moving and wagging of the head, grinding and gnashing together of the teeth; always they will arise out of their bed, now they sing, now they weep, and they bite gladly and rend their keeper and their leech: seldom be they still, but cry much. And these be most perilously sick, and yet they wot not then that they be sick. Then they must be soon holpen lest they perish, and that both in diet and in medicine. The diet shall be full scarce, as crumbs of bread, which must many times be wet in water. The medicine is, that in the beginning the patient’s head be shaven, and washed in lukewarm vinegar, and that he be well kept or bound in a dark place. Diverse shapes of faces and semblance of painting shall not be shewed tofore him, lest he be tarred with woodness. All that be about him shall be commanded to be still and in silence; men shall not answer to his nice words. In the beginning of medicine he shall be let blood in a vein of the forehead, and bled as much as will fill an egg-shell. Afore all things (if virtue and age suffereth) he shall bleed in the head vein. Over all things, with ointments and balming men shall labour to bring him asleep. The head that is shaven shall be plastered with lungs of a swine, or of a wether, or of a sheep; the temples and forehead shall be anointed with the juice of lettuce, or of poppy. If after these
medicines are laid thus to, the woodness dureth three days without sleep, there is no hope of recovery.

Source: Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus, Robert Steele

Lungs, Mullein for Congestion

“The mullein leaves may be purchased at any drug store or gathered in the fields. Make a tea of the leaves by steeping them. Add enough water to one tablespoon mullein to make a pint, which will be three doses, taken three times a day.” This is a very good
remedy.

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

Consumption, Simple Home Method to Break up

“A cloth saturated with kerosene oil, bound around the chest at night and frequently repeated, will remove lung soreness, and it may be taken inwardly with advantages, eight to ten drops three or four times a day in sarsaparilla. It has been tried efficaciously as a cure for consumption.”

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

Lungs, Herb Ointment for Congestion of

“Oil of Turpentine 1/2 ounce
Oil of Hemlock 1/2 ounce
Oil of Peppermint 1/2 ounce
Oil of Feverweed 1/2 ounce

Mix this with one cup warm lard.”

Rub this ointment on throat or lungs and apply a flannel over it. Heat it through thoroughly with hot cloths. If used thoroughly and the cold is taken in time will prevent pneumonia.

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

Lungs, Raspberry Tincture for Inflammation of

“Take one-half pound of honey, one cup water; let these boil; take off the scum; pour boiling hot upon one-half ounce lobelia herb and one-half ounce cloves; mix well, then strain and add one gill of raspberry vinegar. Take from one teaspoonful to a dessertspoonful four times a day. Pleasant to take.”

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

Definition: Pectoral

A pectoral medicine is one which is used to relieve illness, irritation or other disorder in the chest or respiratory tract.