Civil War Medicine - General Civil War Talk - Civil War Talk - Civil War Interactive Discussion Board

Posted: Sun Oct 9th, 2005 12:06 am

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Xan
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RHEUMATISM'S

Sulphur and salt-petre, of each 1 oz; gum guaiac* 1/2 oz; colchicum root, or seed, and nutmegs, of each 1/4 oz; all to be pulverized and mixed with simple syrup or molasses 2 oz. Dose--one tea-spoon every 2 hours until it moves the bowels rather freely; then 3 or 4 times daily until cured. Mr. Wright, of the Niagara Hotel, Toldeo, O. has several times proved this to be an excellent medicine, and since I obtained it I found a man at Marshall, Mich., one Saturday evening, with his feet and legs so swollen with this disease that he could but just crawl with two crutches. I filled this prescription and gave him a tea-spoon every two hours, until it moved his bowels, then every four hours, and on Monday noon he could walk quite comfortably without cane or crutch, the medicine costing nly twenty cents.

(*Dr. C does not define this product but this is how he spells it.)

Then we have one not exactly "herbal" in nature but...interesting:

TOAD OINTMENT

For sprains, strains, lame-back, rheumatism, caked breasts, caked udders, &c., &c.

Good sized live toads, 4 in number; put into boiling water and cook very soft; then take them out and boil the water down to 1/2 pint, and add fresh churched, unsalted butter 1 lb and simmer together; at the last add tincture of arnica 2 oz. This was obtained from an old Physician, who thought more of it than of any other prescription in his possession. Some persons might think it hard on toads, but you could not kill them quicker in any other way.

Both receipts from Dr. Chase's Recipes, or Information for Everybody; A. W. Chase MD, 38th edition, Ann Arbor Michigan, 1866.

The one I see mentioned in the most books is "blackberry cordial" as a remedy for, ahem, "bowel complaints." Not sure if this means constipation or the runs, or if the product is sufficiently talented to work on either.

Oh, and crushed cranberries will kill cancer (presumably on the skin.) This is cited as an "old Indian remedy" in a couple of books.

If you're looking for anything in particular, either by disease or ingredient, let me know and I'll see what turns up.

Posted: Sun Oct 9th, 2005 07:23 pm

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Xan
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Um, in the Toad Ointment recipe, there are no ecclesiastical requirements for any ingredient.

That should be "fresh churned butter", not "fresh churched."

(YOU try writing typo-free with a cat in your lap. Like his namesake, Gen. Nathaniel Lyon tends to charge recklessly ahead to seize the high ground at any opportunity.)