RomanceEverAfter

Romantic Tales - Regency

Home Remedies for the Housewife

Although access to limited medicines were available and used, the lady of the house still relied on remedies learned from her mother.  The cures and helps seem strange by today's standards, but to the households of the 19th century, the remedies made sense.

Hysteria
A simple concoction could be created and ingested so a woman may prevent hysterics.  The remedy consisted of "finely pounded caraway seeds with a small measure of ginger and salt, spread upon bread and butter."  The recommendation was the remedy be taken daily preferably early in the morning or in the evening before sleep.

Rheumatism 
The remedy for aching joints sounds interesting!  A portion of goose grease is melted with horse radish juice, mustard and turpentine. The mixture is then shaken until white and creamy and applied to the appropriate area.

Headaches
A headache today is taken care of with a small pill.  For the 19th century person, a remedy for a throbbing head required a combination of salt, vinegar, soft ware, whiskey or brandy.  This particular mixture was considered a "good cooling wash for headache and inflammation of the brain."

Warts
An "apple a day keeps the doctor away" certainly held true, at least where the housewife was concerned.  The juices from a cut apple rubbed over a wart for several minutes was believed to be effective.  In several days, the wart was promised to drop off the area.

Chapped Hands
The mutton fat taken from a sheep's udders was known to work well in relieving chapped hands.  The fat was to be warmed and the individual submerge their hand into the tepid fat.

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