Grandmothers Remedies

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9 yrs ago

We almost never saw Drs as kids, my grandmother always seemed to have a remedy, which we survived.

We were regularly dosed with a variety of things like worming chocolate, Syrup of Figs, the horrible Cod liver Oil. Something worked because we were pretty healthy.

Had a cold head over a steaming bowl of water with Vicks in it, Chest cold a Vicks poultice. Never antibiotics. Can't remember what mustard poultices were used for anyone know?

one of the strangest treatments I saw was my sisters husband who had perfect round scars on his back, he had had boils on his back at some time so his grandmother treated them by heating up a bottle placing the bottle neck over the boil and the whole boil was sucked off!

Guess other people might have Grandmothers treatments and household tips they might like to share.

14 comments

Abby

9 yrs ago

They must have liked to torture kids in the older days - Cod Liver Oil .. YUK!!!

But as you say never went to the doctors.

The boil treatment is absolutely fascinating.

I remember my Mum using cooking salt to kill germs from many things. Soaking the article in hot water and salt.

Also squeezing lemon juice on a stain and then out in the sun for the day.

Cod Liver Oil and an Orange Juice concentrate was part of our post war rationing allowance Abby, it was carefully worked out what each child needed in the UK to keep them healthy when food was strictly limited. Funnily enough Cod Liver Oil is recommended by dietitians and Drs today.

When I was a kid "Hypol" fixed most ailments.

Cod Liver Ooil was a punishment for being naughty :)

My Mum until she died at nearly 90 only believed in eating yummy things lol.

I used to buy a pound of sweet biscuits every night as a little kid on my way home from school, between just Mum and Dad and I, but funnily none of us were ever fat, plus every Sunday we went to our local baker and Mum bought 4 dozen cakes and they did not last long. Mum nearly lived on chocolate and it never seemed to hurt her, living the life of "if it tastes good eat it" and would never have brown sugar or brown bread or unrefined anything, so neither did I until I was on my own.

I am not honestly sure it matters what we do, we all have a lifespan. Even with exercise too much wears the joints out to early, while no exercise is equally as bad in a different way.

Strangely, Peter and I buy heaps of things because it is our hobby. who cares. do what ever your heart desires. :) if it's legal of course lol

Your Mum sounds like every kid's dream Phyl....we ate everything too and none of us were fat either and hardly ever sick...and as for our teeth hardly ever needed the dentist...until this day I have only a few fillings and one crown. We were made to brush our teeth regularly as kids however.

When we were little Mum used aloe for everything...to put on cuts and bruises and even in a glass of warm milk for colds...

Mum died at 99 and my doctor thinks I'm heading the same way...better think of a longer bucket list!!!

Peter's Mum lived until 99 also Fleur

Like you, cleaning my teeth was essential and I also have my own teeth except for one Maryvale Bridge for one missing tooth.

Bates Salve dribbled scalding hot on a boil or any such like infection.

Makes my eyes water just thinking about it.

S,D. I do not know what Bates Salve is, but that sounds like a er um very cruel treatment.Then again you are o.k. now, so probably did not hurt you to much :)

Phyl,

It can be found on Google. It looked like a lolly stick, lipstick sized. Melted with a match and the hot goop dropped on the boil or whatever.

Charming.

Oh the very thought of the pain. S.D.

Phyl,

I was terified as a little kid of reporting sick in any way. I can remember having a dreadful dose of the flu and rather than front up I found a hole in the paddock and buried myself in there in an attempt to keep warm and hide.

They noticed I was missing and one of the bigger kids found me and carried me up to the residences where I was bathed and put to bed until I recovered a few days later. I know I fainted in the bath, no sympathy, treated as though I had done something wrong.

Different times.

Take it easy.

Daisy

9 yrs ago

My mother cut an artery open when she was a kid and lost a lot of blood. Her parents were advised to feed her raw liver every day for the next year to help her iron levels. She and her siblings were also given olive oil in orange juice every day to prevent colds, worms etc. It turned her off oranges for life.

The only thing I can remember as a kid is Eichorn ointment for cuts. It stung like crazy. Also occasionally Condy's Crystals in baths but I don't know what that was for. I think it was probably a fad, they all thought we needed a Condy's Crystal bath every so often.

My favourite treatment for most things these days is calendula ointment. Consider it miraculous for healing infections and cuts etc.

Robi,

We used to stand in a trough of Condys before our showers.

I think it was to kill foot rot or something similar.

We were all bare foot back then so it possibly was what it was all about.

Take it easy.

kfchugo

9 yrs ago

Condys crystals (permanganate of potash) is a great antiseptic when dissoved in water. My dad often soaked his feet to relieve tinea/athletes foot.

Daisy

9 yrs ago

Whatever Condy's Crystals was for nobody seems to use it these days.

Probably because Big Pharmaceutical firms medications are pushed instead, Robi.

Robi,

Used to leave a purple stain as I recall.

PlanB

9 yrs ago

Used to have starch paste put on school sores --it worked too

Daisy

9 yrs ago

Kids used to get their heads shaved if they had lice or ringworm. It was the best remedy but fortunately I never had to undergo it. Head lice was not as common in those days.

kfchugo

9 yrs ago

Yes, remember well the household uproar when lice, impetago etc were detected.

Seggie. I remember wearing a little flannelette bag around my neck with a camphor block in it. For diarrhea, Mum used to mix up cornflour and water to a paste and I had to eat it off a teaspoon. For scratches, always peroxide and I recall being told to 'watch the bubbles and it won't hurt'. All the local kids mixed and we 'shared' measles, mumps, etc. and luckily not many of us took to bed. We mostly played in the mud or walked to the nearest creek and got tadpoles. I remember mustard plasters but cannot remember what they were used for. HighTemperature, Mum bought little white Aconite pills from the chemist and that seemed to work. Rarely saw a doctor then. Times sure have changed now.

Grandmothers Remedies

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