Bygone medicines & cure-alls

[Paulus 541]

My mum always had;

Surgical spirits..............every graze & cut, OMG it stung like bu99ery!!

Kaolin Poultice.................Boils

Tincture of Arnica................toothache

Camomile flowers...................neuralgia?

[Malarkey 4]

My mum always had:

Whiskey hot water and sugar..........almost anything.

Hot sweet tea..................As above.

One of the above and a Park Drive tipped.............As above-but not for the children.

[Malarkey 4]

.....also hot lemonade and Junior Asprin-yummy orange flavour.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Indian Brandee, I think that's how it was spelled..

Liquid Paraffin.. To "shift yer when yer were bunged up"

[katyjay 5,091]

J Collis Brown's mixture for upset stomach [yuk, it was put in hot water]

Andrew's Liver Salts

Ex-lax, or Senna Pods to boil or failing that Syrup of Figs

Germolene for cuts and scrapes

[poohbear 1,360]

And iodine....Ow!!

[Limey 242]

Vick's Vapor Rub! Yes, I know, you can still get it (damn)!

[piggy and babs 544]

i always have olbas oil for when got a cold they also do a rub stronger than vicks.

the other thing i have used since my kids were young is conatrane antiseptic cream swear by it for nappy rash and in those little places you sometimes get sore small cuts and scratches only about 6 pounds for a large tub and smells much nicer than e 45 or any other cream ive tried good moisturiser too.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Here's a tip that works for athlete's foot, I suffered bad with it for years the regular over the counter stuff just kept it at bay, but I still had smelly feet.

Use Vick vapour rub, it does work, cleared my athletes foot up pretty good and I'm still free of it and no stinky feet either. This is no joke, it works!!

[Limey 242]

COD LIVER OIL Arrrgggghhhhhhhhhh........ I hated the stuff, but mum would force it down us claiming all sorts of medicinal attributes. They were talking about it on the radio a few weeks ago, and it turns out it has NO useful traits AT ALL!

Sometime I wish me mum was still alive - I would have happily informed her that all that torture was for naught!

[StephenFord 866]

Germolene : Our doctor in Long Eaton (one of the old sort) told my mum that the best thing to do with it was bury it six foot deep at the bottom of the garden.

[katyjay 5,091]

Smelly stuff, I always think root beer over here smells like Germolene.

[banjo48 928]

Camomile flowers in hot water for gumboils.

Tincture of Arnica for bruises - still used today in some sports medicines and alternative therapy shops.

Kaolin and Morph used for gastro

Kaolin poltice as mentioned for boils - I had a massive carbuncle on my shin as a kid and this stuff shifted it!

Sugar and soap poltce for drawing out splinters

And one of my old grans favourites Lodnum (she called it) , think it was a liquid narcotic similar to the Morph in Kaolin and Morph. came in a "ribbed" brown bottle, about 250ml.

She used to give it out by the teaspoon in a little warm water, to settle your stomach !

We still have Germoline in our medicine box Lol! bought it from thee uk last year.

Whitfields ointment for fungal infections - still available even here in oz !

[Beachbum 68]

My Gran swore by a bread poltice for practicaly any ailment

[StephenFord 866]

And one of my old grans favourites Lodnum (she called it) , think it was a liquid narcotic similar to the Morph in Kaolin and Morph. came in a "ribbed" brown bottle, about 250ml.

She used to give it out by the teaspoon in a little warm water, to settle your stomach !

I guess it was Laudanum - Tincture of Opium - pretty potent stuff.

[EileenH 496]

California Syrup of Figs

When he was about three years old my little brother got his hands on a bottle of this fruity stuff and before Mam could get it from him he`d swigged half the bottle

I don`t have to describe the aftermath do I? no2

(He didn`t seem to come to any permanent harm)

[mick2me 3,033]

What was that smelly stuff that owd folks used to rub on their bad backs?

[mgread1200 141]

Think you might be talking about "wintergreen" also remember "Virol malt extract"

[Pixie 162]

I HATE the smell of germoline, i remember my mum having a blue tin of it and i wouldnt let her get anywhere near me with the stuff!

Gingerale for sickness, also 'burns' bugs and flu out of your system.

Kaline and morphene (not sure how thats spelt) But my mum allways insists i have a bottle in .. yano, just incase.

Honey for sore throats and coughs

I remember as a kid, my mum used to buy this menthol bubble bath when we had a cold, cant seem to find it anywhere these days!

And Tunes throat sweets, used to love the cherry ones!

Witch hazel, although you can still buy it, i remember my mum had a glass bottle of the stuff, it got whipped out when i had cuts and bruises, and when i got older and started getting spots, i still use it to this day for bad skin!

[Paulus 541]

There was another remedy for colds/bad chests, instead of Vick, used to be in a liitle jar & the label had yellow/orange flames on it & I'm sure it had 'fire' in the title;

.......fire or fire.........., anyone remember it?

[Paulus 541]

Got it!!...................it was called Snowfire Ointment....................on reflection perhaps it wasn't used for coughs, it was for chilblains, still on sale:

http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/140615134224?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla&crdt=0

[Malarkey 4]

Butter and sugar....sore throat.....(yuk)

[StephenFord 866]

What was that smelly stuff that owd folks used to rub on their bad backs?

Sloane's linament? or camphorated oil? or goose-grease? Any of 'em would fit the description !

[Compo 10,328]

Calamine lotion for bites, stings, sunburn and owt else that needed soothing.

[StephenFord 866]

How about Pulmo-Bailey for coughs - You could have painted your fence with it - I think it was about 70% creosote.