To Remove Freckles

The following lotion is highly recommended: One ounce of lemon juice, a quarter of a drachm of powdered borax, and half a drachm of sugar; mix in a bottle, and allow them to stand a few days, when the liquor should be rubbed occasionally on the hands and face. Another application is: Friar’s balsam one part, rose-water twenty parts.

Powdered nitre moistened with water and applied to the face night and morning, is said to remove freckles without injury to the skin.

Also, a tablespoonful of freshly grated horse-radish, stirred into a cupful of sour milk; let it stand for twelve hours, then strain and apply often. This bleaches the complexion also, and takes off tan.

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

When Too Much Salt Has Been Used

When you have accidently used too much salt, the effect may be counteracted by adding a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar.

Source: 1001 Household Hints, Ottilie V. Ames

For the Giddiness in the Head

Take an ounce of comming Seed and Steep it in white wine all night as much wine as will cover it and then you must dry it in an oven after the bread is drawn and dry with it an ounce of Juniper berrys & a handfull of rue then you must beat all these together to a fine powder and when you use it take as much of the powder as will lay on a Sixpence in a Spoonfull of honey well mixed together or in a Spoonfull of Sugar and take it dry.

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

Colds

At the first sign of “taking a cold” — use some simple remedy, such as inhaling camphor from time to time for several hours. Dampen the center of a handkerchief in water, and drop on it some spirit of camphor. Eat a sliced onion.

Take two drops of spirit of camphor on a tsp. sugar.

Or, drop five drops camphor in ½ tumbler of water. Take a tsp. every half hour.

Ginger tea is a much valued old-fashioned remedy. Pour boiling water over a tbsp. bruised ginger root. Let stand two hours. The dose is 1 tbsp. every hour or two.

If the “cold” continues, take a laxative, such as castor oil or rhubarb, and follow the dose with a hot foot bath at night and hot lemonade after getting into bed, to induce perspiration. Keep well covered.

If a cough comes with the cold, lemon juice and sugar syrup make a pleasant cough remedy; or molasses-and-vinegar syrup is liked by children. Mix in the proportion of 1 tbsp. vinegar to 2 tbsp. molasses.

Flaxseed tea will sometimes relieve a “tickling” cough. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 1 tbsp. whole flaxseeds. Stir; let simmer gently one-half hour. Add juice of half a lemon, and sugar if desired. Take a tbsp. as often as wished.

If the chest is sore, rub it with camphorated oil, or ammonia liniment, which is made by shaking together in a bottle 4 tbsp. olive (sweet) oil and 1 tbsp. household ammonia. This hardens upon standing a few days — so it is best made as needed.

All these are simple home remedies, but if a cold is severe, see a doctor. A neglected cold is dangerous.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer

Cure for Hiccoughs

Lump of sugar saturated with vinegar will usually cure hiccoughs in a child. Drink of water often brings immediate relief. In prolonged cases of hiccoughing, weak, hot coffee with cream and sugar given at frequent intervals has cured the patient.

Source: Civic League Cook Book

Conserve of Red Roses

Doctor Glisson makes his conserve of red Roses thus: Boil gently a pound of red Rose leaves (well picked, and the Nails cut off) in about a pint and a half (or a little more, as by discretion you shall judge fit, after having done it once; The Doctors Apothecary takes two pints) of Spring water; till the water have drawn out all the Tincture of the Roses into it self, and that the leaves be very tender, and look pale like Linnen; which may be in a good half hour, or an hour, keeping the pot covered whiles it boileth. Then pour the tincted Liquor from the pale Leaves (strain it out, pressing it gently, so that you may have Liquor enough to dissolve your Sugar) and set it upon the fire by it self to boil, putting into it a pound of pure double refined Sugar in small Powder; which as soon as it is dissolved, put in a second pound; then a third, lastly a fourth, so that you have four pound of Sugar to every pound of Rose-leaves. (The Apothecary useth to put all the four pounds into the Liquor altogether at once,) Boil these four pounds of Sugar with the tincted Liquor, till it be a high Syrup, very near a candy height, (as high as it can be, not to flake or candy) Then put the pale Rose-leaves, into this high Syrup, as it yet standeth upon the fire, or immediately upon the taking it off the fire. But presently take it from the fire, and stir them exceeding well together, to mix them uniformly; then let them stand till they be cold; then pot them up. If you put up your Conserve into pots, whiles it is yet throughly warm, and leave them uncovered some days, putting them in the hot Sun or stove, there will grow a fine candy upon the top, which will preserve the conserve without paper upon it, from moulding, till you break the candied crust, to take out some of the conserve.

The colour both of the Rose-leaves and the Syrup about them, will be exceeding beautiful and red, and the taste excellent; and the whole very tender and smoothing, and easie to digest in the stomack without clogging it, as doth the ordinary rough conserve made of raw Roses beaten with Sugar, which is very rough in the throat. The worst of it is, that if you put not a Paper to lie always close upon the top of the conserve, it will be apt to grow mouldy there on the top; especially aprés que le pot est entamé.

The Conserve of Roses, besides being good for Colds and Coughs, and for the Lunges, is exceeding good for sharpness and heat of Urine, and soreness of the bladder, eaten much by it self, or drunk with Milk, or distilled water of Mallows, and Plantaine, or of Milk.

Source: The Closet Of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened, K. Digby

Colds

For a cold in the head just appearing inhale spirits of camphor. Put one or two drops of camphor on a small lump of sugar, dissolve in a wine glass of water, (one gill) and take a teaspoonful every half hour. Take a good cathartic or drink four or five glasses of hot water at bed time and in half an hour follow with four more glasses of hot water. Gargle sore throat with warm water and alcohol or warm water and salt using one level teaspoon of salt to a pint of water. If cold has made the throat or lungs sore, dip a cloth in cold water, wring dry and spread it on throat or chest. Cover with three thicknesses of dry flannel and bind it on securely. Take a hot foot bath and go to bed. This treatment should cure your cold. If is doesn’t it will be a wise thing to call a physician in the morning before alarming symptoms are developed. Bathe frequently, drink plenty of water and keep the bowels in regular action and prevent colds.

Source: Civic League Cook Book

Flax-Seed Lemonade

To a large table-spoonful of flax-seed allow a tumbler and a half of cold water. Boil them together till the liquid becomes very sticky. Then strain it hot over a quarter of a pound of pulverized sugar candy, and an ounce of pulverized gum arabic. Stir it till quite dissolved, and squeeze into it the juice of a lemon.

This mixture has frequently been found an efficacious remedy for a cold; taking a wine-glass of it as often as the cough is troublesome.

Source: Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches, Eliza Leslie

Treatment of Croup

Every mother knows those fearful premonitory symptoms of croup, the hoarse sepulchral cough which is so startling. The child should be at once taken up, its throat and chest rubbed thoroughly before a hot fire with lard and camphor melted together, then a wet compress put on, by folding up a cloth of a half dozen thicknesses, (have it about two or three inches in width,) wring it out of cold water, then pin it on to a piece of flannel, allowing the flannel to extend beyond it on either side at least an inch, pin it securely around the neck placing another piece of flannel or a soft towel out side, entirely excluding the air. If the child is very much oppressed give sufficient ipecac (syrup) to vomit it ; these remedies can be used until you have time to secure a physician. If the child continues t© be hoarse, continue giving ipecac all the next day every two hours not enough to vomit it, but sufficient to keep the phlegm loose. Another remedy for croup is alum, about one-half teaspoonful of pulverized alum in a small quantity of molasses, repeat the dose every hour until the patient is relieved ; or alum dissolved in water, and given in small doses every hour. Onion syrup is also very good for hoarseness in children ; put two or three onions in a pan, place them in the oven of the stove, let them get thoroughly baked, then squeeze the juice out into a saucer, and to every spoonful of juice put the same of white sugar, and give the child a teaspoonful every hour or oftener if necessary.

Source: The Housekeeper’s Friend: A Practical Cookbook

Cure for Dyspepsia

Mix together equal quantities of bran and sugar, brown like coffee, and take two or three times a day.

Source: 76: A Cook Book