Monday, March 31, 2014

Folk Medicine

In the olden times, folk medicine was widely practiced because it was the only alternative for the treatment of sickness.
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Today, when we hear about some of them, they seem ridiculous; in other cases, we find that modern medicine is based on plants that were long ago used in folk medicine.

Remedies abound and tend to vary from culture to culture. I was reading through a list and found some that I’d never heard of. Others were familiar to me, as I heard about them when I was growing up in the rural South.

For instance, I had an aunt who dipped snuff. If ever anyone was stung by a bee or wasp, the cure was to go to Aunt Myrtle and she would take snuff from her mouth and dab it on the affected area to stop the stinging and prevent swelling. I don’t recall if it worked, but it must have because people were always seeking her out when they were in need. On the other hand, if it did work, why didn’t people just keep a can of snuff in their own first aid kit without having to go to Aunt Myrtle? Perhaps it was thought snuff required interaction with saliva in the mouth to be effective? Who knows?

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The cure for a wart was to “steal” someone’s dishcloth from the kitchen, hide it under the doorstep and the wart would go away.

Clay poultice: Mix red clay (Lord knows we have plenty of that around here) with vinegar to make a thick paste and apply to sprains. Secure with a clean cloth and the swelling will go away in several hours.

Mustard plaster: Crush mustard seeds to a powder, mix with vinegar to form a thick paste. Spread on chest and cover with a clean cloth. This will cure chest colds.

To prevent colds, keep a bottle of turpentine and touch the tongue to the liquid each day throughout the cold season and you won’t get a cold. (I had another aunt who followed this practice all her life, as she was a firm believer in the effectiveness of it.)
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In the old days, catching the “Itch” at school frequently happened. The cure was applying a paste made from sulphur and lard. The smell must have been horrendous. My mother tells the story of the time she and her sister had the Itch and were undergoing this treatment. Because their home was a meeting place for area children catching the bus to school, their mother made them go upstairs into the attic while other children were waiting in the warm house below. Apparently they smelled so bad their mother didn’t want the other children exposed to the scent.
Coal oil – cousin of kerosene -was once used as an internal and topical home remedy as a general cure-all. People used it for coughs, flu, cuts, abrasions, and wounds. It was given internally by adding sugar, molasses, honey or some other substance to mask the taste, while topical applications were applied and applying a bandage, or by pouring the coal oil directly on the affected area. This is a strange one because coal oil is toxic!

Indian Lilac (also known as Neem) leaves was a cure for skin boils. There was a plant growing beside the well at my grandmother’s house, from which she picked leaves and placed over boils to cure them. I am not certain the plant was Indian Lilac; it is unfamiliar to me. If not Indian Lilac, it apparently was something in which she had confidence as a cure for boils.
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Headache was treated by soaking willow trees limbs in water and drinking the liquid. The tree contains salicylic acid, which is basically the component of modern-day aspirin.

I once met an old woman in rural Clayton County, Georgia, who was knowledgeable of old-time folk medicine. She walked me through the woods once and pointed out various plants known to cure various ailments. I have long forgotten all she told me, though.

Early settlers in this country learned of folk remedies from the American Indians. So much of this knowledge is now lost in the wake of modern medicine. It is interesting, however, that many of our modern day medicines are based on the plants known by the people of olden days to cure ailments and disease.

What are some of the folk remedies you have heard of? Have you ever tried any of them?


12 comments:

  1. My father was a pharmacist so there weren't too many folk medicine cures happening at our house, LOL! I do recall my GGrandmother making a paste of baking soda and water to put on bee stings though. I enjoyed reading the ones you wrote about, some I've heard of and some new to me.

    Darla

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    1. Haha. I imagine your dad thought all home remedies were a bunch of fiddle faddle! We also got a dose oc castor oil each spring as a purgative. Ugh. Awful!

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  2. How much I appreciate modern day cures. I remember most and the one I hated most was the muster plaster that mother put on our chests. I believe by the time we came along it was available as a salve already mixed of course. I could not stand the smell. Mother rubbed it on our chests then pinned a wool cloth to our night gown so it would hold heat!!!
    Remember Aunt Myrtle and the snuff for wasp and bee stings and I remember our granddaddy with the chewing tobacco!

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    1. We don't soon forget those things! Had forgotten about the chewing tobacco. Suppose it worked same as snuff.

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  3. Wow, so many folk remedies, most of which I have never heard of, although I did know about the willow. My mother used to look for a weed she called Dock, and crushed it onto bites and stings. Another thing I remember is an old aunt giving me a spoonful of brandy when I was travel sick, aged about 6 or 7! Maybe that is why I like champagne and brandy cocktails to this day!

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    1. I've heard of Dock used as a folk remedy. Oh brandy! Yes, with honey and lemon for sore throats. Never got that at our house, but I've used it in later years. Before bedtime and you sleep like a baby!

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  4. Dear Sanda,
    You always write such interesting posts. This one is super. I love it.
    I believe so much in what some people call " the old remedies" or the old wives mixtures.. many of which work. The mustard and vinegar..one of my D.I.L used it on my grandchildren when they had bad chests.. Her grandmother was a prisoner of war with the Japanese... and the woman had to learn to make their own medicines.. they used lots of plants.
    Here where I live.. This week, is the week of traditional soups made from wild plants from the fields.. people come from all over to this region to eat them. I do believe that most of our medicines today are made from plants. if you read some of the labels you can see what plants they use.
    Most enjoyable reading.
    I can imagine the kids getting scrubbed down ..to keep the L away. );-
    Happy week Sanda. love val xxx

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    1. What a neat tradition, the week of making soups from regional plants. Did you try them and were they tasty? Many modern medicines are plant based but don't believe the pharmaceutical companies want us to know. And a good week to you as well, Val!

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  5. You have a long list of the olden days folk-medicines!
    I have not heard about those, but as sauna is a " holy place " for us Finns, there is a saying, which in fact was used in the past:
    If booze, tar or the sauna will not help, as the disease is fatal.

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    1. Haha. I like your Finn saying! I think the sauna does cure many problems. I am a bit confused about the tar, though.

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  6. I've heard of the mustard plaster and of course the willow, but no one in our family applied these. I know that some herbs have medicinal properties but I can't recite any off the top of my head; I would be cautious in using them especially if I were receiving mainstream medical treatment. I run into this information in historical novels occasionally, for example The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.

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    1. Yes one must be careful using plants/herbs as they are quite potent and can be deadly if used inappropriately. But the people in the old days knew the proper usage as the info had been passed down for generations.

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