In the sick room . . .

 
I wanted to let you know this morning that Todd is feeling a lot better although still quite weak.   I don't think he will be running in any marathons just yet.   The Doctor had given him 12 days worth of antibiotics, 2 pills X 4 times a day, so quite a large dose of anti-biotics really.  They seem to have kicked in and are doing the trick, thank goodness!!  He is not a man who really gets sick.   He's probably one of the healthiest people I know . . .  he only even ever very rarely gets a cold!  So when he does get sick I suppose it's worse than most people.  I don't know for sure.  I'm only very happy and quite grateful that he is now feeling a lot better.  ☺


Even though we may all complain from time to time about the shortcomings of the NHS and how it is failing us, really we are all so very blessed that we have free medical care and the freedom to go to a Doctor when we need to. This isn’t the case in a great many places in the world, even today. Just something else we take for granted I guess! 

I was looking through one of my many books yesterday evening and I found these quaint little cures and recipes for what ails you and thought I might share them with you all this morning. I thought that some of them were quite interesting! 


The Sick Room 

Egg Gruel - Boil eggs from one to three hours until hard enough to grate; then boil new milk and thicken with the eggs, and add a little salt. Excellent in case of nausea. (Really? Coz reading this actually made me feel a tad nauseous!) 


Beef Tea - To one pound of lean beef, add one and one half tumblers of cold water; cut the beef in small pieces, cover and let it boil slowly for ten minutes, and add a little salt after it is boiled. Excellent. (I have heard of people being given Beef Tea in the past and now I know what it is!)  





Grandmother’s Salve for Everything - Two pounds of rosin and half a teacup of mutton tallow after it is hard, half as much beeswax, and half an ounce of camphor gum; put all together into an old kettle, and let it dissolve and just come to a boil, stirring with a stick; then take half a pail of warm water, just the chill off, pout it in and stir carefully until you can get your hands around it. Two persons must each take half and pull like candy until quite white and brittle; put a little grease on your hands to prevent sticking, and keep them wet all the time. Wet the table, roll out the salve and cut it with a knife Keep it in a cool place. (insert shocked face here … I’m not sure at all how on earth you are supposed to spread it on any type of sore or irritation?) 


Cholera Remedy - Mix in a small bottle equal parts of tinctureof opium (laudanum), rhubarb, capsicum (red pepper, double strength), camphor, and spirits of nitre, essence of peppermint double strength. Shake well and cork tight. Dose: From five to thirty drops every fifteen minutes. Dose for children, from two to ten drops. (Interesting but a bit scary sounding)  





Fig Paste for Constipation - One half pound of good figs chopped fine, one half pint of molasses, two ounces powdered senna leaves, one drachm fine powdered coriander seed, one drachm of fine powdered cardamom seed. Put the molasses on the stove and let it come to a boil, then stir in all the rest and bring to a boil again. A teaspoonful once in a while is a dose. It will keep, when covered, for a year. (this one might come in handy, lol) 


Cure for boils - Isaiah 38:21. Go thou and do likewise. (I just had to look this up to see what they were talking about. Nosy me. “For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay [it] for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.” Now I know, I can die happy. )  





For Canker Sore Mouth - Burn a corn cob and apply the ashes two or three times a day.  (I just knew we shouldn't have thrown out those corn cobs!) 


Ring Worm - put a penny into a tablespoon of vinegar; let it remain until it becomes green, and wash the ring work with this two or three times a day. (I am assuming they mean the vinegar, not the penny) 


Cure for Corns - The strongest acetic acid, applied night and morning, will cure hard and soft corns in a week. (might come in handy some day, you never know)  




Cure for Chilblains - Place read hot coals in a vessel, and throw upon them a handful of cornmeal; hold the feet in the dense smoke, renewing the coals and meal, til the pain is relieved. This has been known to make very marked cures when all other remedies have failed. (Now all I have to do is find out what a chillblain is!) 


Cure for Rheumatism and Bilious Headache - Finest Turkey rhubarb, half an ounce, carbonate magnesia, one ounce; mix intimately; (sounds interesting) keep well corked in glass bottle. Dose; one teaspoonful, in milk and sugar, first thing in the morning; repeat til cured. Tried with success.  (I prefer to take two aspirin I think) 


Toothache - at a meeting of the London Medical Society Dr. Blake, a distinguished physician, said that he was able to cure the most desperate case of toothache by the application of the following remedy: Alum reduced to an impalpable powder, two drachms; nitrous spirit of ether, sever drachms; mix and apply to the tooth.Tried with success. (I am really glad we have dentists to go to today!)  






For Sore Throat - cut slices of salt pork or fat bacon; simmer a few moments in hot vinegar and apply to the throat as hot as possible. When this is taken off, as the throat is relieved, put around a bandage or soft flannel. A gargle of equal parts of borax and alum dissolved in water is also excellent. To be used frequently. (now where did I leave that pig?) 


To Stop Bleeding - A handful of flour bound on the cut. 


To Prevent Contagion from Eruptive Diseases - Keep constantly, in plates of saucers, sliced raw onions in the sick room, if possible. As fast as they become discoloured, replace with fresh ones. During any epidemic of skin diseases that are eruptive, onions, except for those taken fresh from the earth, are unsafe, as they are peculiarly sensitive to disease.  

After reading all of those I think I know now where the old saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" comes from.  Some of those cures and medicaments sound far worse than the complaints!




I love this photo.  It's Amanda, Maryn and Tom on the way to Amanda's graduation ceremony.  I love that wee little angel between her two parents.  Sigh  . . .

A thought to carry with you through today  . . . 


 ❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥
Give me the happy things of life,
a heart that's merry all the way,
An outlook that is broad and bright,
A spirit that is brave and gay . . .
 ❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥



Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Wholewheat Sweet Potato Bread.   Delicious!

Have a fabulous Saturday no matter what you get up to and to my Canadian friends out there Happy Thanksgiving!  Don't forget! 
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And I do too!