Grandmother’s Eye-Wash
Take three fresh eggs and break them into one quart of clear, cold rain-water; stir until thoroughly mixed; bring to a boil on a slow fire, stirring often; then add half an ounce of sulphate of zinc (white vitrol); continue the boiling for two minutes, then set it off the fire. Take the curd that settles at the bottom of this and apply to the eye at night with a bandage. It will speedily draw out all fever and soreness. Strain the liquid through a cloth and use for bathing the eyes occasionally. This is the best eye-water ever made for man or beast. I have used it for twenty years without knowing it to fail.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Eye-Water Recipe
Cut a fresh hard-boiled egg into halves while hot, remove the yolk, fill the cavity with white vitriol, close the egg again, place in a vessel and cover tight to prevent the steam from escaping. Let it stand ten minutes, then take off the shell and strain the other part through a cloth. Add one teaspoon of sugar, one teaspoon of salt and a gill of rain water.
Source: 76: A Cook Book