Burns and Scalds

A piece of cotton wadding, spread with butter or sweet oil, and bound on the burn instantly, will draw out the pain without leaving a scar; also a handful of flour, bound on instantly, will prevent blistering. The object is to entirely exclude the air from the part affected. Some use common baking-soda, dry or wet, often giving instant relief, withdrawing the heat and pain. Another valuable remedy is to beat the yellow of an egg into linseed oil, and apply it with a feather on the injured part frequently. It will afford ready relief and heals with great rapidity. Some recommend the white part of the egg, which is very cooling and soothing, and soon allays the smarting pain. It is the exposure of the part coming in contact with the air that gives the extreme discomfort experienced from ordinary afflictions of this kind, and anything which excludes air and prevents inflammation is the thing to be at once applied.

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

A Recipe for the Removal of Pimples or Blotches

Fifty grains of distilled water of cherry laurel, seventy-five grains of extract of lead, seven of tincture of benzoin, and thirty of alcohol; shake the benzoin and alcohol together, and then the whole very thoroughly.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

For Chapped Skin

Keep a muslin bag filled with bran constantly soaking in the water which you use for your ablutions; the bran should be changed twice a week; immediately after bathing rub the chapped skin with deer suet, or with glycerine and rose-water, in the proportion of three parts of glycerine to one of rose-water ; do this while the skin is still wet.

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

Hair Stimulant

One ounce of spirits of turpentine; one ounce of trotter oil; thirty drops of acetic solution of
cantharides.

To be applied three times a week.

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

Lotion for Freckles

One teacupful of sour milk ; a little scraped horseradish.

Let it stand from six to twelve hours, and wash the parts affected twice a day.

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

Cuts and Burns

Equal parts burgundy pitch, beeswax and fresh lard melted together.

Source: The Kansas Home Cook-Book

Chilblains

We give a few household remedies for the cure of these disagreeable companions. 1. Take half an ounce of white wax, one ounce of ox-marrow, two ounces of lard; melt slowly over a fire in a pipkin, and mix them well together; then strain through a linen cloth. 2. Before going to bed spread the ointment on the parts affected, feet or hands, taking care to wrap them up well. 3. Lemon juice rubbed on the inflamed parts is said to stop the itching. 4. A sliced onion dipped in salt has the same effect, but is apt to make the feet tender. 5. When the chilblains are broken, a little warm vinegar, or tincture of myrrh, is an excellent thing to bathe the wound and keep it clean. 6. Another useful remedy is a bread poultice, at bedtime, and in the morning apply a little resin ointment spread on a piece of lint or old linen.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

Camphor Ice for Chapped Hands

Take of spermaceti four ounces, white wax (pure), eight ounces; oil of sweet almonds, one pint. Mix together by a gentle heat, add of camphor (in small pieces), four ounces; when dissolved stir until partly cold, and add essential oil of bitter almonds and expressed oil of mace, two fluid drachms, and pour into moulds.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

Wen

Wash with strong salt and vinegar twice a day for a month.

Source: The Kansas Home Cook-Book

Hemlock Poultice

Two drachms of dried hemlock; two pints of water boiled down to one; add sufficient linseed meal to make it of a proper consistency. Excellent for cancerous and scrofulous ulcers, and malignant sores.

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