Home Remedies

Today one gets doctor’s prescriptions or over the counter medicine when needed. However, your ancestors did not always have a doctor nearby, or a drug store or even be able to afford medicine. So traditionally home remedies were used for many physical problems.

Home remedies or ‘old-fashion cures’ have been done in households for hundreds of years. Many such methods are effective.

To help ease a bad cough, was to take a teaspoon of turpentine mixed with syrup just once.

For a sore throat, a person gargled with salt placed in a glass of warm water.

If someone had ringworm, use vinegar on it, which proved to be good to fight a fungal infection.

To heal a bee sting, a baking soda mixture was used on it or even applying a cut portion of an onion.

There was hot tar, either from coal tar or pine tar used to ease, treat and soothe eczema or psoriasis.

Many of these and others did help our ancestors.

Photos: Turpentine; Baking soda; Vinegar; and Pine tar.

Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:

Illnesses of Long Ago

Ancestors’ Illnesses

Patent Medicines