Remedies

captain clutterbuck

captain clutterbuck

LOTSW Fanatic
I recently decided to invest in some Optrex just to give a bit of relief to my eyes imagine my surprise to find that they now sell several varieties for different conditions . I opted for the Tired Eyes type which did help a little but thankfully there was a free book of matches with every bottle bought , you cannot beat the traditional remedies!

Seriously though does anyone have any memories of old remedies they saw or used or indeed had inflicted on them in times gone by .
 
Something for a cough called Glycerine, Lemon and Ipecac. Sold at an old corner shop when I was under 10 .The shop was run by an old couple who must have been 70 ish at the time.(Only thing that kept them going?)Strange thing is the concoction seemed to work.
Nettle "beer" , boiled up in the kitchen by my mother. It was used as a general "physic" and had the means to keep us "cleansed" on the inside.
She also did something with Angelica plants that was "good for you" .Don't ask , its in the dim and distant!:tongue::thumbsdown:
 
Also spitting on a dock leaf and rubbing it on nettle stings :eek: o:

My mother had a cure-all for if you were "poorly" She gave you a tot of whiskey in a cup of tea or sometimes (yeuk) in hot milk. She once even put some in the cats milk when it was listless!:32:
 
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wstol said:
Witch hazel.
Surgical Spirit.
Vick.
The stuff the nit nurse used.
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You could always tell when the "Nit-nurse "had been .Several kids in infant school had their heads shaved and painted purple (Iodine I think)My brothers and I were not allowed the chance to have nits ,we had a session every night from my mother with a "nit-comb ".That was a fine toothed comb that swept the nits from your hair onto a sheet of paper and then onto the open fire.:x3:
 
My mam always kept a bottle of olive oil on the top of the fire in case of earaches, the first sign of earache and we were bent over her lap and a wodge of hot oiled soaked cotton wool was rammed in your lug hole. Used make you think twice about complaining about earache.

My mother too was a demon nit catcher, the dreaded steel comb and brown paper were always within her reach and she didn't care how much you screamed when she was hunting for nits she was focused on catching the little devils. One scratch anywhere near your head and she'd pounce like wild thing, we were always careful about what we scratched when she was about.
 
I watched a TV comedy show called Early Doors about a pub and the characters who inhabit it . In one episode as part of the plot various of the characters tell the landlord , who has streaming flu , that he should try chopped egg in cup . I had assumed this was comedic repartee and part of the script but having looked it up it appears not see extract below from www.florencefinds.com :-

  • Egg-in-a-Cup: A definite childhood tradition for me, this involves having a soft boiled egg or two, with the shells removed, then chopped up with a knob of butter in a cup. Served with buttered toast soldiers, I think it’s the closest to heaven you’ll get with a bunged up nose
    icon_smile.gif
 
Honey and lemon good for colds and sore throats but always see your doctor for advise on the correct medicine
 
Does anyone remember Acriflavine. It used to speed up heeling cuts. Yellow it was. Is it still available? perhaps our resident nurse can tell us. Over to you Gill.:14:
 
My dad used to work for Boots (the Chemist) in the days before all the remedies now normal. He had a book full of handwritten recipes that covered all eventualities in the home, garden or farm. Unfortunately mother gve it away when he passed on in 1969.
 
happyjack said:
Does anyone remember Acriflavine. It used to speed up heeling cuts. Yellow it was. Is it still available? perhaps our resident nurse can tell us. Over to you Gill.:14:
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Don't remember it looked it up on sale on EBay but has a narrative " It may be harmful in the eyes or if inhaled. It is a dye and it stains the skin and may irritate." sounds like side effects outstrip the benefits . It also receives several mentions as an anti-bacterial treatment for Fish which speaks volumes reverse of the norm i.e test on humans before using on animals/fish.
 
captain clutterbuck said:
Don't remember it looked it up on sale on EBay but has a narrative " It may be harmful in the eyes or if inhaled. It is a dye and it stains the skin and may irritate." sounds like side effects outstrip the benefits . It also receives several mentions as an anti-bacterial treatment for Fish which speaks volumes reverse of the norm i.e test on humans before using on animals/fish.
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It always worked on my cuts. Mother swore by it. No harmful reactions that I recall.
 
maltrab said:
Wire brush and Dettol for all ailments
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Those were the days, scrubbed from top to bottom with a nail brush, if you did that today you'd get arrested for child abuse.

You can buy all these really expensive skin exfoliators with bits nut shell and other things found lying around on the factory floor in it but a good bar of soap and a nail brush does the job just as well and a damn site cheaper.
 
Pearl said:
Those were the days, scrubbed from top to bottom with a nail brush, if you did that today you'd get arrested for child abuse.

You can buy all these really expensive skin exfoliators with bits nut shell and other things found lying around on the factory floor in it but a good bar of soap and a nail brush does the job just as well and a damn site cheaper.
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Pearl,

Look no further than our beloved show when the ladies are assessing Barrie's rash they agree Wright's Cold Tar soap is the answer to any skin condition , I imagine they would also be big fans of Carbolic soap.
 
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