Raspberry Vinegar, and its uses

Put two pounds of raspberries in a large bowl, and pour on them two quarts of white-wine vinegar; the next day, strain the liquor on two pounds of fresh raspberries; let this stand a day, and strain it into a stone jar; to each pint of the liquor put a pound of loaf sugar; stir till it is dissolved, and put the jar in a sauce-pan of water, which keep boiling for an hour; skim it, and bottle it when cold. This is used not only as a refreshing drink, mixed with water, but is said to be of use in complaints of the chest. No glazed or metal vessels should be used in making it.

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

Liverwort Syrup

Make a quart of strong liverwort tea by extracting two sets of herbs in the same water, tie a tea cup of flaxseed in a bag and put with it; keep it covered while drawing; when the strength is all out, strain it on a pound of sugar, and let it boil slowly till it is thick — keeping it covered to prevent the strength from going off, when cold, bottle it, and set the bottle in a cool place while using it. Take a table-spoonful at a time about six times a day. This has been used for a cough with great benefit.

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

Toffee for Coughs

1/2 lb Demerara sugar
1 oz butter
2 oz treacle
1 teaspoonful ipecacuanha wine

Boil the butter, sugar and treacle together for 20 minutes and add the wine.

Pour out into a greased tin and when cold break into pieces and keep in a tin for use.

Give a small piece to be sucked slowly, from time to time when the cough is troublesome, but never allow a child to go to bed with a piece in its mouth for fear of choking.

Source: Household Management, E. Stoddard Eckford & M.S. Fitzgerald

Chlorine Pastiles for Disinfecting the Breath

1. Dry chloride of lime, two drachms; sugar, eight ounces; starch, one ounce, gum tragacanth, one drachm; carmine, two grains. Form into small lozenges.

2. Sugar flavored with vanilla, 1 ounce; powdered tragacanth, 20 grains; liquid chloride of soda sufficient to mix; add two drops of any essential oil. Form a paste and divide into lozenges of 15 grains each.

Source: Our Knowledge Box, ed. G. Blackie

Gonorrhea

Balsam of Copabia one oz., Oil of Cubebs two drms., Laudanum one dram, Mucilage of Gum Arabic two ozs., Sweet Spirits Nitre half oz., Compound Spirits Lavender three drms., Camphor Water four ozs., White Sugar two drms., Oil of Partridge Berry five drops. Mix. Dose, a tablespoonful 3 or 4 times a day.

Source: One Thousand Secrets of Wise and Rich Men Revealed, C. A. Bogardus

Bryan’s Pulmonic Wafers for Coughs, Colds, Etc

Take white sugar, seven pounds; tincture of syrup of ipecac, four ounces: antimonial wine, two ounces; morphine, ten grains; dissolved in a tablespoonful of water, with ten or fifteen drops sulphuric acid; tincture of bloodroot, one ounce; syrup of tolu, two ounces; add these to the sugar, and mix the whole mass as confectioners do for lozenges, and cut into lozenges the ordinary size. Use from six to twelve of these in twenty-four hours. They sell at a great profit.

Source: Our Knowledge Box, ed. G. Blackie

Cough Syrup

One quart of water, one handful of hops; boil these together, and strain; put in this fluid a cup of sugar, and boil to a syrup; cut a lemon into it, and bottle for use.

Source: Recipes Tried and True

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

Invalid’s Coffee

A nourishing drink for sick people is made as follows : Make a strong cup of coffee, add cream and a little more sugar than usual, and let it all come to a boil. Then pour it over a well-beaten egg in a cup in which it is to be served.

Source: 1001 Household Hints, Ottilie V. Ames

For a Sore Throat

Take tops of rosemary fennell sage marygolds with the black middles sinkfoins of each a like quantity a good handfull altogether. a little cammomile boyle it in a quart of ale till tis very strong of the herbs then strain it and sweeten with honey or Sugar, you may boyle a piece of gold or a gold Ring if you please in it.

Source: A Book of Simples, H.W. Lewer