Coughs

To get rid of coughs, there are a lot of home remedies and treatments you can use. Honey and lemon were used in the treatment of coughs, as were garlic, onions, leeks and olive oil. Cabbage, carrots and turnips were also used, as were comfrey, nettle, dock, rosemary, lavender, thyme, balm, linseed, glycerin and peppermint. Eucalyptus was a common cure.

There were many old cures for coughs. One of these involved making a hole through a lemon and filling it with honey. The lemon was then roasted and the juice collected and given to the patient. Another involved cutting a hole with brown sugar. This was left overnight and the juice given to the patient.

Many herbal drinks were recommended. An infusion of coltsfoot leaves sweetened with honey was recommended, as was a syrup made from boiling coltsfoot leaves and an equal amount of plantain leaves with an equal amount of honey. In another remedy involving coltsfoot leaves, they were boiled with garlic in water and had brown sugar added.

Dried sage, vinegar and honey formed the basis of another remedial drink, as did dried sage, ginger, brown sugar and water. Butter, honey, and vinegar were mixed and heated to form another cure, and hyssop, hartshorn, almond oil, sugar and water were mixed to make yet another. An infusion of horehound, marshmallow leaves, hyssop, mullein and ground coriander was also used.

A less readily available cure involved mixing the juice of leeks with the breast milk of a nursing mother. A distinctly less acceptable old cure in involved the boiling of two or three snails in barley water.

Cowslip

Cowslip was used by early herbalist as a remedy for palsy. It was also used as a sedative in various nervous disorders and as a cure for insomnia. The plant was used as a remedy for spasm and as an expectorant.

Cowslip had to be used with caution as it had irritant properties and could result in allergic reactions.

Cucumber

Cucumber was used in folk medicine to reduce heat and inflammation in various infections, such as lung and chest conditions and skin conditions. It was also used to bring down fevers.

It was thought to be a mild diuretic and to be able to cleanse the system. Gout and arthritis were treated with it, as was eczema.

Externally cucumber was used to soothe inflamed skin and to soothe irritated eyes. It was also used on sunburn and was used cosmetically in the belief that if would keep the skin young and wrinkle-free.

Cramps

See abdominal pain or menstruation.

Dandelion

The leaves and root of the dandelion were used in traditional herbal medicine. Dandelion was known principally as a diuretic, being used in cases of fluid retention.

It was also used as a mild laxative, as a tonic and as a stimulant of the appetite and aid to the digestion. Gout, rheumatism, arthritis, indigestion, jaundice, hepatitis, gallbladder infections and congestion of the chest were also thought to be relieved by dandelion.

Dandelion was also used in cases of insomnia. Anemia and circulatory disorders were also treated by it, as were diabetes, headaches, fatigue and irritability.

As a cure for warts, the juice of the dandelion was applied to the affected areas. An infusion of the leaves and flowers was used as a wash for some skin complaints.

Dandruff

Looking for ways to get rid of dandruff? Did you know that sulfur is often used in the treatment of dandruff? One ounce of sulfur and two pints of water were shaken together repeatedly every few hours and then the head was soaked with the liquid. Alternately, an ointment of weak sulfur and lanolin was used.

Yarrow used as a rinse was regarded as being a cure for dandruff as well as being thought to prevent hair falling out. Castor oil rubbed into the scalp was also supposed to have both of these effects, while a shampoo made from nettle was meant to cure the dandruff.

An infusion of sage brushed into the scalp every night was thought to be effective, and it was also thought to improve the condition of the hair generally. Another later cure was a mixture of kerosene and water, equal parts being used. For the first few days of treatment this was to be rubbed into the hair night and morning.

Acid Reflux

Acid Reflux is also called heartburn. Here are easy home remedies and cures that can help you with your acid reflux and prevent chronic heartburn from happening.

Walking after a fatty meal can help minimize heartburn.
Taking an antacid will also take care of your acid reflux.
Chew a gum, but don't chew peppermint gum because mint is a triggers heartburn.
Drink milk. This washes down the acid back to the stomach effectively.

Here's another article you might find useful: Heartburn Cures

Debility

In cases of debility, such as that which occurs after a long illness, several remedies were suggested. These included the use of oats, wheat, milk, cinnamon and cayenne.

Cabbage and turnip were thought to be instrumental in building up people’s strength. Nettle and dock were also used, as were rosemary, yarrow, lavender and witch hazel.

Diabetes

For diabetes, natural substances that lowered blood sugar and so as used in the treatment of diabetes included oats. Apples were also thought to help regulate blood sugar.

Cabbage was also thought to assist the reduction of blood sugar, as were onions. Dandelion and burdock were also said to be beneficial in the relief of diabetes.

Diarrhea

For diarrhea, a lot of herbal medicines can be used. Honey, cinnamon, ginger, lemon, apple, egg, tea, barley, cloves, garlic, leek and carrot were thought to be able to relieve diarrhea. Chamomile, sage, rose-hips, nettle, dock, marigold, thyme, yarrow, hawthorn, meadowsweet, peppermint, witch hazel and eucalyptus leaves were also used in the treatment of the condition.

Agrimony, avens, herb Robert, marjoram, sage, slippery elm and sorrel were also thought to have properties that would cure diarrhea. Tea made from raspberry leaves was thought to an effective cure. A mixture of flour was also recommended for the condition.

Depression

In folk medicine depression was treated by oats. Other remedies included mustard, cloves, rosemary, cardamom, rose, dock, thyme, lavender and balm.