Bearberry

Sometimes called bear’s grape, bearberry was used in early Welsh folk medicine as an antiseptic.

Later it was commonly used to promote the flow of urine and in kidney and urinary disorders, such as cystitis. It turns the urine green. Prolonged use of bearberry resulted in constipation.

Bed Sores

Alcohol was rubbed on bed sores to harden the skin and to alleviate the condition. Witch hazel was also used, either in the form of a poultice or in the form of a compress.

Bed Wetting

One particularly unpleasant early remedy for bed-wetting to give child boiled mouse flesh. Practically anything would be more palatable than that.

Another early remedy, fortunately a great deal less gruesome, was tea made from St. John’s wort and plantain and sweetened with honey. Also more pleasant was a mixture of thyme and honey.

An infusion of various herbs was also recommended, the herbs being basil, betony, golden rod and tansy. A later remedy involved the use of cardamom. This was also used in cases of incontinence.

Other herbs thought to be useful for curing bed-wetting were bearberry, fennel, hollyhock, pansy and St. John’s wort.

One rather strange suggestion related to the way the child lay in bed. To prevent children who persistently wet the bed from so doing, it was recommended that they were discouraged from sleeping on their backs by taping an empty cotton reel to the back of their nightwear. This was also used in an attempt to stop people from snoring.

Beef Tea

Beef tea was much used in cases of debility or convalescence where the strength of patients had to be built up. There were various methods of making this.

One method involved mincing or cutting up beefsteak and then putting it in a jar or dish with a pint and a half of cold water or barley water. The jar was covered, placed in a saucepan of water and simmered for several hours.

Alternatively, the container was placed in a cool oven overnight. The contents were strained and the fat removed.

Belladonna

Belladonna is better known to most of us as deadly nightshade. It is extremely poisonous and, although it was used in the treatment of several disorders, it was also known to result in accidental poisoning or even death.

It was used in the relief of pain, as in cases of sciatica, rheumatism, bunions and toothache. The plant was also used as diuretic in cases of fluid retention.

Betony

This woodland plant was once thought to confer protection against evil and sorcery. It was also believed that if betony was planted in churchyards it would prevent the spirits of the dead from appearing at night.

In early times the plant was thought to be an antidote to snakebites and to be cure for the bites of rabid dogs.

Another early theory was that it would cure drunkenness if it were gathered by means other than by using an iron implement.