Chapped Hands, an Inexpensive Remedy for

“One-fourth ounce gum tragacanth, one-fourth ounce boracic acid, one ounce glycerin, one and one-half ounce alcohol, five cents’ worth best white rose perfume. Soak gum in pint of rain water for thirty-six hours; let warm slowly until heated. Remove from the stove, strain through a cheese cloth, add the other ingredients, stir well and bottle.”

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

Conserves of red Roses the Italian manner

[Well, this one seemed appropriate for Valentine’s Day — Ed.]

Take fresh red Roses not quite ripe, beat them in a stone Mortar, mix them with double their weight of Sugar, and put them in a glass close stopped, being not full, let them remain before you use them three months, stirring of them once a day.

The Vertues

The Stomach, Heart, and Bowels it cooleth, and hindreth vapours, the spitting of blood and corruption for the most part (being cold) it helpeth. It will keep many years.

Source: A Queen’s Delight: Or, The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, Nathaniel Brooke

Castor Oil Pomade for the Hair

Four ounces of castor oil; two ounces of prepared lard; two drachms of white wax; essence of jessamine, or otto of rose.

Melt the fat together, and when well mixed, and becoming cool, add whatever scent you prefer, and stir it constantly until cold; then put it into pots or bottles for use.

Source: Warne’s Model Cookery and Housekeeping Book, Mary Jewry

A Snail Water for weak Children, and old People

Take a pottle of Snails, and wash them well in two or three waters, and then in small Beer, bruise them shells and all; then put them into a gallon of red Cows Milk, red Rose leaves dried, the whites cut off, Rosemary, sweet Marjoram, of each one handful, and to distil them in a cold still, and let it drop upon powder of white Sugar candy in the receiver; drink of it first and last, and at four a clock in the afternoon, a wine-glass full at a time.

Source: A Queen’s Delight: Or, The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, Nathaniel Brooke

Infants’ Colic, &c.

Tea made of catnip, and sweetened, given to an infant when it appears to be in pain, is often useful. Sweet marjoram tea also relieves pain, and has a soothing effect on the nerves.

To put the feet in warm water, and put a warm piece of flannel to the stomach, is important; but if neither of these relieve the child, put it in warm water for about ten minutes, and cover it from the air carefully; wipe it dry, and keep it warm afterwards. A little weak ginger tea is good for the colic; as also tea made of dried damask rose leaves; a tea-spoonful of leaves will make a tea-cupful of tea.

Source: Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers, Elizabeth E. Lea