French Milk of Roses
Mix 2 1/2 pints of rose-water with 1/2 a pint of rosemary-water, then add tincture of storax and tincture of benzoin, of each 2 ounces; and esprit de rose, 1/2 an ounce. This is a useful wash for freckles.
Source: The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness, Florence Hartley
Granulated Cold Cream
Take white wax and spermaceti, of each one ounce; almond oil 3 ounces, otto of rose, as much as you please. Dissolve the wax and spermaceti in the almond oil, by means of heat, and when a little cool, pour the mixture into a large wedgwood mortar previously warmed, and containing about a pint of warm water. Stir briskly until the cream is well divided, add the otto, and suddenly pour the whole into a clean vessel containing 8 or 12 pints of cold water. Separate the cream by straining through muslin, and shake out a much water as possible.
Source: The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness, Florence Hartley
Violet Mouthwash
Mix equal quantities of tincture of orris, spirits of roses, and common spirit, with a few drops of otto of almonds.
Source: Recipes for the Million
For Chapped Hands
Mix 1/3 pint double distilled rose water, 1/2 oz. oil of almonds and 7 grains salt of tartar.– Or: yolks of 3 eggs, 3 table-spoonsful honey, 4 table-spoonsful brandy, and 4 sweet almonds, pounded. — Or: dissolve a tea-spoonful of pulverised borax in a tea-cupful of boiling soft water, add a tea-spoonful of honey, and mix well together. After washing, wipe the hands very dry, and put the mixture on with a feather.– Oil of Almonds or spermaceti rubbed on at night are soft and healing.
Source: The English Housekeeper, Anne Cobbett
An excellent Gargle for a Sore Throat
Half fill a teapot with dark red rose leaves, pour boiling water over; when cold strain it into a 6 oz. bottle, add a tea-spoonful of tincture of myrrh, and 25 drops of elixir of vitriol: if the throat be ulcerated, a tea-spoonful of tincture of cayenne.
Source: The English Housekeeper, Anne Cobbett
Lip Salve
Melt one ounce white wax, one ounce sweet oil, one drachm spermaceti, and throw in a piece of alkanet root to color it, and, when cooling, perfume it with oil rose, and then pour it into small white jars or boxes.
Source: The Canadian Family Cookbook, Grace E. Denison
Elder Flower Ointment
Lard, twenty-five pounds; prepared mutton suet, five pounds; melt in an earthen vessel; add elder flower water, three gallons. Agitate for half an hour, and set it aside; the next day gently pour off the water, remelt the ointment, add benzoic acid three drachms; otto of roses, twenty drops; essence of bergamot and oil of rosemary, of each, thirty drops; again agitate well, let it settle for a few minutes, and pour off the clear into pots.
Source: Our Knowledge Box, ed. G. Blackie
Toilet or Face Powder
Take a quarter of a pound of wheat starch pounded fine; sift it through a fine sieve, or a piece of lace; add to it eight drops of oil of rose, oil of lemon thirty drops, oil of bergamot fifteen drops. Rub thoroughly together.
The French throw this powder into alcohol, shaking it, letting it settle, then pouring off the alcohol and drying the powder. In that case, the perfume is added lastly.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Filed under Remedy | Tags: alcohol, bergamot, face, face powder, lace, lemon, oil of bergamot, oil of lemon, oil of rose, powder, rose, skin, starch, wheat, whitehouse | Comment (0)Macassar Oil for the Hair
Renowned for the past fifty years, is as follows: Take a quarter of an ounce of the chippings of alkanet root, tie this in a bit of coarse muslin and put it in a bottle containing eight ounces of sweet oil; cover it to keep out the dust; let it stand several days; add to this sixty drops of tincture of cantharides, ten drops of oil of rose, neroli and lemon each sixty drops; let it stand one week and you will have one of the most powerful stimulants for the growth of the hair ever known.
Another:–To a pint of strong sage tea, a pint of bay rum and a quarter of an ounce of the tincture of cantharides, add an ounce of castor oil and a teaspoonful of rose, or other perfume. Shake well before applying to the hair, as the oil will not mix.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Filed under Remedy | Tags: alkanet, alkanet root, bay rum, cantharides, castor oil, hair, lemon, macassar, muslin, neroli, oil, oil of rose, rose, rum, sage, scalp, sweet oil, whitehouse | Comment (0)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 ye soals of ye feet keep it on 7 houres, whilst ye party is in ye fitt force them not to take any thing inwardly but anoynt ye wrists on ye inside, ye palmes of ye hands, ye Temples and ye nostrills (if it be a childe) with Methridate (if not) with oyle or spirit of Amber, between ye fitts let it drinke black cherrey water sweetned with syrrop of Cloves & syrrop of Pyonies for a weeks time after ye 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