The American Pictorial Home Book
or Housekeeper's Encyclopedia - online book

A reference manual of household management in Victorian times.

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	554	HEALTH NOTES.
	ting blood, by eating salt; epilepsy, by water melons; kidney affec­tions, by celery; poison, olive or sweet oil; erysipelas, pounded cranberries applied to the part affected; hrydrophobia, by onions. Rhubarb Tea for Dyspeptics.—Slice 2 sticks of rhubarb and boil for 15 minutes in a quart of water; strain and pour in a bottle or jug, then add, when cold, the juice of 1 lemon or some powdered citric and sugar to tsste. Dyspepsia and Milk.—Before each meal drink a glass of sweet milk, the richer the better. Or take a tablespoonful of wheat bran before each meal. bilious colic. Bilious Colic.—Make a poultice of the bran of corn meal, sprinkle mustard over it, and apply it as hot as can be borne to the bowels. This is said to give instant relief. Drink pepper or spear­mint tea. For Colic—One-half hour before or after dinner, eat 6 blue or purple figs, either dried or not. They are also good for dyspeptics, and should be eaten daily until entirely relieved. N. B. The foregoing recipe I obtained from the widow of a Rus­sian physician, a highly accomplished lady. Bilious Colic—Give hot lemonade, or sweet oil a tablespoonful every hour until relieved. Colic—Make a strong tea of the vervain roots and all, by pour­ing boiling water over, when washed. Drink hot. JAUNDICE. Drink for Jaundice.—It is said to be a sure cure. Put equal parts of saffron and soot in a bag and let it lie in a glass of water over night; in the morning put the yolk of an egg broken into the water and drink it. Do this 3 mornings, skipping 3, until 9 doses have been taken. Jaundice.—One penny-worth each of allspice, flour of sulphur and turmeric; these to be well pounded together, and afterwards to be mixed with 1-2 lb. of molasses; 2 tablespoonfuls to be taken every day. Liver Spots.—Make a mixture of powdered sulphur and spirits of any kind, and rub the place 3 or 4 times a day until it almost bleeds, then wash with soap and water. A Wholesome Drink for Bilious and Sallow-Complexioned People.—Boil 1-2 hour 1-2 ounce each of spruce, hemlock, dande­lion, yellow dock, burdock, sjirsaparill?i bark in a gallon of water;