Colds

As a home treatment for colds. A syrup made from coltsfoot was used as an old cure for colds, as was an infusion of peppermint leaves with added honey. A tea made from dried yarrow leaves and dried elderflowers was recommended before retiring at night as a clod cure. Barley water was another cold cure.

Another old cure for colds involved mixing yarrow, ginger root, cayenne pepper and water and boiling these together with the addition of honey. Alternately, fresh elderflowers and angelica leaves could be soaked in boiling water and strained. The resulting liquid was used, sweetened with honey, for the relief of colds.

Elderberries formed the basis of another cure. These were simmered with brown sugar until the mixture was the consistency of honey before being administered in hot water.

Rubbing the chest with oil of rosemary was thought to bring relief to those suffering from colds. Wringing out a piece of flannel in boiling water, sprinkling it with turpentine and placing it on the chest was also thought to help. A more curious remedy was the rubbing of the soles of the feet with a mixture of crushed garlic bulbs and white horehound.

Hot mustard foot-baths, inhalations of eucalyptus in boiling water and drinking hot lemonade were all popular cold remedies.

Colic

An old cure for colic involved administering a drink made from betony boiled in white wine.

Parsley, peppermint, chamomile, cinnamon, sage, thyme and meadowsweet were all used in the treatment of colic. The juice of raw potato, cabbage, carrot were considered to be remedies, as was glycerin.

Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot was mainly used in the treatment of colds, coughs, bronchial disorders and asthma. Externally it was used in the form of poultices to treat sores and burns.

Comfrey

Comfrey is a plant also known as knitbone.

Comfrey was primarily used as an aid to the healing of fractured bones. It was also known as a cough remedy and was used in the treatment of asthma and tuberculosis. Dysentery was also treated with it, and it was used in the treatment of anemia and as a tonic for invalids.

It was used as a gargle for sore throats, and externally the leaves were used in a poultice for the relief of abrasions, wounds, bruises and varicose veins. It was also used externally to ease painful joints.

Corns

For the treatment of corns, Marigold used externally in the form of an infusion or in the form of crushed flowers was an old remedy for corns. Corns were also treated with castor oil to soften them and make them easier to remove.

Celandine juice applied to the corn and left to dry was thought to be effective. A mixture of apple juice, carrot juice and salt was also considered to relieve corns, as were crushed ivy leaves applied daily.

Constipation

Please see Laxative