Slippery-Elm Tea

Pour one cup of boiling water upon one teaspoonful of slippery-elm powder or a piece of the bark. When cool, strain, and flavor with lemon-juice and sugar. This is soothing in any inflammation of the mucous membrane.

Source: The Universal Cookery Book, Gertrude Strohm

Slippery-Elm Bark Tea

Break the bark into bits, pour boiling water over it, cover and let it infuse until cold. Sweeten, ice, and take for summer disorders, or add lemon-juice and drink for a bad cold.

Source: Common Sense in the Household, Marion Harland

Whooping Cough Syrup

One ounce flax seed, one ounce slippery elm, one ounce boneset, one ounce stick liquorice, one and one-half pounds loaf sugar, one pint Orleans molasses. Put first three ingredients in thin muslin bag, and boil one hour in sufficient water to cover well. Dissolve the liquorice in one pint of water; then boil all together a few moments.

DOSE.–One teaspoonful every hour or two, as the case may require.

Source: Recipes Tried and True

When A Button Is Swallowed

Children sometimes swallow buttons, fruit stones, thimbles and pennies. When the mother is sure that the child has swallowed a foreign substance the child should be encouraged and even compelled to eat plentifully of mashed potatoes, thick mush and coarse bread. Then follow with syrup of rhubarb or castor oil. Do not give the cathartic immediately on finding out the accident but make sure that much bulky food is taken. Give a child slippery elm to chew when it swallows a penny or button or hard object. This forms a slippery coating on the surface of the penny in the stomach which aids it in passing easily through the intestine and prevents its lodging there and was the remedy applied by a physician when called.

Source: Civic League Cook Book

For a Burn

Make half a tumbler of strong lime water, let it set a few minutes; then strain the water through a thin muslin to the same quantity of linseed or sweet oil (neat’s or hog’s foot will answer); mix it well, and spread over the burn; wrap over linen cloths. Do not remove the cloth for several days; saturate it frequently with the lime and oil until the inflammation is subdued. Should the odor become offensive, apply cold poultices of the flour of slippery elm; spread over with pulverized charcoal. A plaster of lard and soot is also good for a burn. Heal with any simple salve — a very good one is made by stewing together heart leaves, white lily root, agrimony, a few leaves of the Jamestown weed, and sweet gum. When the strength of the herbs is extracted, strain the water; throw away leaves, etc.; add fresh unsalted butter, and simmer gently until the water has evaporated. Keep this on hand for common sores, in a close-covered box.

Source: Mrs Hill’s New Cook-Book

Cough Mixture

Take of boneset, slippery elm, flax seed and stick liquorice two ounces each, one pint molasses, half pound brown sugar. Simmer the herbs in water (about three pints), until the strength is extracted, add the sugar and molasses, strain and boil to the consistency of cream. A teaspoon every two hours.

Source: The Kansas Home Cook-Book

Slippery-Elm Bark Tea

Break the bark into bits, pour boiling water over it, cover and let it infuse until cold. Sweeten, ice, and take for summer disorders, or add lemon juice and drink for a bad cold.

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

Whooping Cough Syrup

One ounce flax seed, one ounce slippery elm, one ounce boneset, one ounce stick liquorice, one and one-half pounds loaf sugar, one pint Orleans molasses. Put first three ingredients in thin muslin bag, and boil one hour in sufficient water to cover well. Dissolve the liquorice in one pint of water; then boil all together a few moments.

DOSE.– One teaspoonful every hour or two, as the case may require.

Source: Recipes Tried and True, Ladies’ Aid Society of the First Presbyterian Church of Marion, Ohio

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

Scalds, Crackers and Slippery Elm as Poultice for

“Apply a poultice of cracker and slippery elm, made of raspberry leaf tea. Guard against taking cold.” Use enough of the raspberry tea to make a soft mixture. This is very soothing, and keeps the air from the scald which is one of the essential things in order to get relief.

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