Bygone medicines & cure-alls

[Pixie 162]

Castor oil was meant to start labour wasnt it? A few people told me to take a teaspoon when i was two weeks over due and really uncomfy, but im sure they tell you to avoid it nower days. Itll either start labour or send you to the toilet forra few hours anyways.

[Trevor S 2,003]

Here's some home remedies I remember from the 50s:-

1.Brimstone and Treacle.............Mother used to make it and spoon it out morning and night. What she made lasted a couple of days and it didn't taste too bad. Supposed to be good for the skin.

2.Camphor oil rubbed on the chest to ward off colds. My mother got a very small camphor tablet once and sewed it inside a little cloth pouch and hung it around my neck to ward of the colds.

3.Remember my father with a sore back and my mother putting brown paper on his bare skin and then pressing down on the paper with a warm iron. Saw that a few times so it must have worked.

[Mango 6]

the thing i use for sore throats is raspberry vinigar dave makes it now from his mums old recipe and its nice on yorkshire pudding to my fiend adds a bit more sugar and thickens it a bit more and puts it on ice cream.

Would love it if you could post the recipe please can't find my grans and new recipes don't taste the same.

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

My French mother in law who was a real countrywoman, used to go into the garden or countryside and collect herbs and plants and make her own cure-alls. no matter what was wrong with her or someone inthe family.

I used to get a bad back quite a lot, the doctors gave me Injections ect, but they seemed to do no good, so my mother in law made a poultice of some of her herbs and stuck it on my back, after several applications the problem went away, and I have not had any problems with my back since...........

[loppylugs 8,429]

Beechams powders. Had to be mixed in water. Supposed to cure colds, flu', headaches etc. 'Orrible tasting and didn't seem to do much good either.

California syrup of figs Helped to keep you in the freezing cold privy in the dark.

Witch Hazel. Not quite sure what that was for.

[Trevor S 2,003]

The old blue bag moistened and held against the site of stings and insect bites.

Another cure for a bee sting that I can personally attest to when I was a young un in RoT was tobacco and a bit of spit pressed on the sting site.

Remeber that to this day.

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

Witch Hazel. Not quite sure what that was for.

Make your own deodorant

Witch hazel is often used in deodorants due to its natural skin-healing and skin-care properties. Here is a home-made recipe you may want to try.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp high proof vodka
• 10 drops geranium
• 10 drops cypress
• 8 drops bergamot
• 5 drops neroli
• 4 drops lavender
• 3 drops black pepper
• 4 tb sp (40 ml) witch hazel
• 2 tb sp (25 ml) cornflower water
• 2 tb sp (25 ml) orange flower water

1. Measure the vodka into a 4 oz (100 ml) glass bottle with a spray attachment.
2. Carefully add the essential oils, one by one.
3. Shake vigorously to dissolve the essential oils.
4. Pour the witch hazel into the bottle, using a funnel if necessary, followed by the two flower waters. Shake well.
5. Label the bottle and the deodorant is now ready to use.
6. Before you use the deodorant each time, give the bottle a good shake to ensure the essential oils are fully dispersed.

[dgbrit 258]

Do you still get BOILS havn't seen one in 30+ years what caused them

I seem to remember my dad & I gettin some when mum started using DDT & of course the dredded CARBUNCLE with its many heads ,I still have the scar

[loppylugs 8,429]

Pour enough of that Vodka in there and it won't be needing any Witch Hazel.

[tomlinson 879]

When we had a chest cold my mum gave us stuff called 'Liqafruita', bought at a herbalist at the top of Alfreton Road. One of the ingredients was garlic, which kept the vampires off apart from stopping you breathing at all! Another remedy from the same place was, 'Scavengers Ointment', a very dry, unfortunately named mixture which was very good for all skin complaints.

[dgbrit 258]

Moms cure for me starting with me about 10years old.

Toothache ----------Cigarette

Headache-----------Cigarette

Cough----------------Cigarette

Combined with a teaspoon of Brandy & you were good to go

Today is my 3 year not smoking anniversary & i think the Brandy put me off drink for life

[mary1947 2,107]

if you had a cold/flu mum used to buy somthing called fever drops or cooling mixture from penaills on hungerhill rd st anns has any one heard or had any of this umm stuff ? all though I must addmit it made you better. How about this one then when I was pregnant with my first (NEW BRITH CONTROLL) my gran said to me if you don't want any more children take a beechams pill once a day this will stop you geting pregnant don't try it as it doe's not work

[Trevor S 2,003]

Gee's Linctus for coughs and chest ailments

Veganin tablets for headaches,

Zubes for sore throats, and

a cure sworn to by an old family friend (female) back in the 50s.......

[carni 10,094]

I don't know if its similar but you can buy something today for chilblains and chapped hands called Snowfire. Bump #21

Sorry i seem to have gone back a couple of pages.

[dgbrit 258]

Thought gin was the cure for pregnancy no2

[piggy and babs 544]

WELL DONE DG NOT AS EASY AS PEOPLE THINK.

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

Our Mum and Dad used to give us, hot honey and lemon with a tot of rum,and an Asprine if we had a cold/flu..

Giving a child rum nowadays, would be classed as child abuse.

[Limey 242]

I thought gin was the CAUSE of pregnancy!

[Trevor S 2,003]

Talking of chilblains, who was told of the old folk cure by the application of urine (your own)?????????????