COUNTRY CURES
"A Little of what you fancy does you good"
Living in an age highly advanced in scientific progress, it comes as a surprise to many people to look back to our recent past to the countryside and country living, with its Herbs, there for the picking, which were so important to our style of life.
This contrast in outlook between past and present can be seen at its greatest in the sphere of illness and medicine, for despite our modern hospitals, chemical cures and the wonder of our Welfare State, there is a surprising number of people who remember the old cures and remedies; cures which were effective, simple and cheap, to be gathered from the countryside, handed down from one generation to another: Some are still in use today.
My Grandmother in her early girlhood always carried around a hare's paw to protect her from evil; it also guarded against lightning; and it was the lucky person who could carry a 'caul' in his or her purse (a caul is part of the foetal membrane). It guarded against drowning or ever being burnt (tho' perhaps the owner was Born to be Hanged)! Old people maintained that the number of times the afterbirth explodes on being burnt foretells the number of children a person would have.
Many old cures were handed down orally through numerous generations, covering hundreds of years and it was the wise person who recorded them. Elderberries, Dandelions, Foxglove, Marigold leaves, Polyanthus leaves eaten as a salad all had their own cures. Some remedies were used out of pure necessity - others were faith cures and were most effective. When children were suffering from Asthma people would watch the men tarring the roads and hold the affected child over a Tar Barrel. The barrel would be hot and the fumes would relieve and often cure the sufferer. The smoke from burning nettles was also a remedy. In the older days, the days of my Grandmother, Spring was the busy time. Whole families would gather to pick the Spring Nettles and boil them as one boils cabbage. Eaten as a vegetable nobody would suffer from boils, acne or any other blood disorders.*
Old people had cures for almost any ailment. They would always advise pregnant women to pick raspberry leaves and brew as tea: take a small wine glass from the fourth month before the birth and it helped an easy delivery.* Constipation is a growing problem in developed countries because of the highly refined foods that are eaten. These deny the body the roughage it needs to function regularly. Syrup of Figs or Senna Pods* are well tried remedies and were widely used in the olden days. It must be stressed, however, that in the event of unusual or serious symptoms, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Here are some more hints for other Country Cures:
BRONCHITIS Use the sloe of the blackthorn bush. For best results gather the fruit and boil it fresh. Add sugar then take the mixture as required.
CUTS & SCRATCHES Place a cobweb on the injury to stop the bleeding. Even for very deep cuts the cobweb always works.*
NOCTURNAL ENURESIS (Bed wetting) A child will always turn on its back to pass water, so all you have to do to prevent the problem is to persuade it to sleep in some other position. Cut a large strip of calico, knot it stoutly about four times then secure it around the child's waist with the knots to the back*. This will encourage the child to stay on its side and can safely be removed after one week.
WHOOPING COUGH Use Ferret's milk. Take it morning fresh, then give the child three teaspoonfuls each morning for nine mornings.
RHEUMATISM AND ARTHRITIS A cure for both these painful afflictions is to be found in the stalks of the celery plant. These should be freshly cut and soaked overnight. First thing next morning they should be eaten in conjunction with a rub of castor or olive oil.
HEADACHE Steep walnut shells overnight, then take two teaspoonfuls each morning for nine days. An alternative method is to use the dried root of primrose as snuff -- the root is reputed to be a fast-acting painkiller.
DIGESTIVE COMPLAINTS (hiccups or stomach upset). The leaves of the fennel plant boiled and taken in small quantities are recommended.
ECZEMA Make a poultice out of crushed marigold leaves and apply it regularly unti the condition clears up.
GALL STONES These can be dissolved by eating boiled hollyhock root. The root of the Daffodil is supposed to be particularly good.
APHRODISIAC Boil the leaves of an ash tree, preferably a young one, then drink the juices. Alternatively, mint is a good substitute.*
CRAMPS To get a good night's sleep free from pain, just flip your slippers upside down and leave them beneath your bed!
BALDNESS Massage raw onions into the scalp, morning and evening until the skin turns red. It should then be smeared with honey.
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*These treatments have been approved by a doctor and it is said they may produce the desired results.
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