For a Black Eye

An excellent application for “black eye” is twenty drops of calendula (juice of marigold) to a teacupful of water, applied by means of a pad of lint. Calendula is a splendid substitute for arnica
in case of a bruise, where the skin is abraded, as in such a case the latter will often produce what is known as “arnica poison.”

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

To Take Away the Signs of the Small Pox

Take some Spercma-ceti, and twice so much Virgins Wax, melt them together and spread it upon Kids Leather, in the shape of Mask, then lay it upon the Face, and keep it on night and day, it is a very fine Remedy.

Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley

A Shiny Nose

Add a little alcohol to the water in which you wash your face. Keep on hand a bottle containing: Boracic acid, one dram; rosewater, four ounces; mix. Apply the lotion as often as necessary.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

Cosmetic Gloves for the Hands

Yolks of two fresh eggs; sweet almond oil, two teapsoonfuls; rosewater, one ounce; tincture of benzoin, thirty-six grains. Beat the yolks with the oil, and add successively the rosewater and the tincture. Put inside the gloves, which you keep upon your hands till morning.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

To get away the Signs of the Small Pox

Quench some Lime in white Rosewater, then shake it very well, and use it at your pleasure; when you at any time have washed with it, anoint your face with Pomatum, made with Spermaceti and oyl of sweet Almonds.

Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley

Linseed Oil with Lime

Take of:

• Linseed oil,
• Lime water,

of each equal parts. Mix them.

This liniment is extremely useful in cases of scalds or burns, being singularly efficacious in preventing, if applied in time, the inflammation subsequent to burns or scalds; or even in removing it, after it has come on.

It is also a species of soap, and might be called Soap of Lime, although it probably contains a great excess of oil.

Source: The Edinburgh New Dispensatory, Andrew Duncan

The Burning of Sponge, Burnt Sponge

Cut the sponge in pieces, and bruise it, so as to free it from small stones; burn it in a close iron vessel, until it becomes black and friable; afterwards reduce it to a very fine powder.

This medicine has been in use for a considerable time, and employed against scrofulous disorders and cutaneous foulnesses, in doses of a scruple and upwards. Its virtues probably depend on the presence of a little alkali. It also contains charcoal; and its use may be entirely superseded by these substances, which may be obtained in other manners, at a much cheaper rate.

Source: The Edinburgh New Dispensatory, Andrew Duncan

Almond Ball

Put into an earthen saucepan, set in a pan of boiling water, one ounce of white wax, one ounce of pure spermaceti, and one gill of oil of almonds well stirred in ; add to this, when it begins to grow cool, half a drachm of essential oil of almonds; half a drachm of expressed oil of mace, and half a drachm of balsam of Peru; stir until smooth and perfectly amalgamated; then pour into egg-cups; turn out when hard. These balls passed over the clean and dry skin at bedtime greatly improve the softness of the complexion.

Source: The Unrivalled Cook-Book and Housekeeper’s Guide, Mrs Washington

Burns

Make a thick paste of molasses and flour, or castile soap and flour, covering the parts so as to entirely exclude the air. For a deep burn, dress daily with lime water and linseed oil, equal parts.

Source: The Kansas Home Cook-Book

To Stop the Flow of Blood

Bathe the cut with ordinary red wine; then cover the wound with either whiting, pipe-clay, or cobwebs and brown sugar ; if you have none of these, apply the fine dust of tea, or, if all are
wanting, a handful of earth held tightly to the wound until help can be obtained ; if the cut is deep, it is wise not only to bandage it tightly, but to tie another bandage above, not onto, the wound.

Source: The Unrivalled Cook-Book and Housekeeper’s Guide, Mrs Washington