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Home cures of long ago - not for the faint hearted

Started by: i-spy (15241) 

just been reading Ernie Taberners recollections of life in Wigan of the 20 and 30's.
in the home doctoring chapter he recalls the cure for boils. You partly fill a bottle with boiling water and apply it to the ripe boil.As the water cools it has a sucking effect, slowly drawing the boil into the bottle.Yuk.
How did they survive

Started: 11th Dec 2010 at 14:06

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

anybody need the cure for constipation.

Replied: 11th Dec 2010 at 17:21

Posted by: the_gwim_weaper (inactive)

Anyone want to buy a bottle of boil?

Replied: 11th Dec 2010 at 17:32

Posted by: spud 1 (inactive)

For a sore throat we had a spoonful of sugar with Friars Balsam on it,it worked.

Replied: 11th Dec 2010 at 19:21

Posted by: trixie (5050) 

Mustard baths for fits.!!!

Replied: 11th Dec 2010 at 19:33

Posted by: linma (2911)

Goose grease and brown paper on your chest for a cold. How times change goose grease for best roasties now.

Replied: 12th Dec 2010 at 07:35

Posted by: spud 1 (inactive)

I remember going to the school clinic,and there was always someone with a boil,and the nurse saying,"that boil needs lancing"

Replied: 12th Dec 2010 at 19:13

Posted by: elmos (2784) 


my cousin liz used to love squeezing boils and carabuncles,
she would keep squeezing till she got the root out.
It hurt like hell but you were cured.

Replied: 12th Dec 2010 at 19:32

Posted by: linma (2911)

My ex was a lovely fella, always the gentleman. He was coming towards me one day to give me a kiss when, he stopped in his tracks and said, "you've got a spot on your chin shall I squeeze it for you". He loved squeezing spots. Sad fella.

Replied: 13th Dec 2010 at 15:10

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

probably better than being a nit picker linma

Replied: 13th Dec 2010 at 23:45

Posted by: lock lass (115)

Keolin Poultices for coughs and colds. At night-time my Grandma used to boil the tin of keolin in a pan, when hot she'd get a knife and scrape it on to a cloth then put it on my chest. In the night it dried to a horrible 'cracking' mess of what I can only describe as crumbling concrete. Did it work? I don't know, I've forgotten but she did it often so it must have.
Aud.

Replied: 25th Jan 2011 at 15:49

Posted by: elizabeth (5439) 

I spy the tale was told by my mother than her brother had that treatment and the bottle wouldnt come off until the carbuncle had burst apparently the pain was that bad he was running all over Platt Lane screaming with pain and even got to St Patricks church screaming all the time and then it burst and he collapsed
My father when ever any one had a bad cold or the Flu he would boil all sorts of herbs he got from the Heralist in Mesnes st it tasted Foul.but it did cure you, wether it was the threat of more to come if you were not better

Replied: 29th Jan 2011 at 09:39

Posted by: mojim (1679)

Elizabeth,I wish he was still there in Mesnes St.. he was brilliant.

Replied: 29th Jan 2011 at 14:39

Posted by: ecmdj (8186) 

vinigar rag for headaches , seemed to work , but prefer paracetomol now

Replied: 29th Jan 2011 at 20:18

Posted by: elizabeth (5439) 

Does any one remember when you had a sore throat or Mumps you had a potatoe wrapped with a scarf round your throat forgotton whether it worked or not

Replied: 30th Jan 2011 at 11:26

Posted by: mojim (1679)

They used to say wrap a pair of stockings or tights around your throat....I never found out if that worked.

Replied: 30th Jan 2011 at 12:56

Posted by: lock lass (115)

What I remember from having a hot potato wrapped in a stocking was it was supposed to relieve earache.

Replied: 30th Jan 2011 at 14:16

Posted by: ecmdj (8186) 

used to work in mill, a woman there used to wear a silk scarf round her neck whenever she had a sore throat, swore blind it worked

Replied: 30th Jan 2011 at 14:26

Posted by: mojim (1679)

Many years ago when I had my ears pierced and they were sore...my Grandma said "use your fasting spit"(honest) she meant do it first thing in the morning before you had anything to eat,and guess what? it worked.

Replied: 30th Jan 2011 at 17:06

Posted by: ecmdj (8186) 

mojim .my late mum told me that when i had my ears pierced and they were sore , and yes it did work .she also told me my grandma used to wash her face in rain water ,and i believe had lovely skin

Replied: 30th Jan 2011 at 22:42

Posted by: ecmdj (8186) 

mojim .my late mum told me that when i had my ears pierced and they were sore , and yes it did work .she also told me my grandma used to wash her face in rain water ,and i believe had lovely skin

Replied: 30th Jan 2011 at 22:42

Posted by: kopitesere (inactive)

Replied: 31st Jan 2011 at 02:37

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

do they still make that disgusting fennings fever cure.I could never work out what it was supposed to cure.

Replied: 18th Mar 2011 at 23:34

Posted by: tonker (27835) 

I can pull my teeth out with Mole grips!

Replied: 18th Mar 2011 at 23:39

Posted by: marken (378)

i-spy. It was the thought of having to take Fennings Fever Cure that cured you, no matter what the ailment was. Nothing seemed as bad as that

Replied: 19th Mar 2011 at 00:28
Last edited by marken: 19th Mar 2011 at 00:29:52

Posted by: ©art© (6154)

Fennings fever cure, set your teeth on edge..
Remember Fennings little healers as well?
One bloke who worked at Johnpit wi' me, they used to say "There's more work in a beechams powder"
Another who took Doans backache & kidney pills regularly.
When he was under the shower in't pit baths, he might have a pee, & it was bright green..
Used to love cod liver oil & malt tho' & California syrup o'figs
Olive oil in yer ear'ole.
Knitbone poultices for bumps & bruises..Still have plenty o'that..
Sugar & soap poultices, for drawin' boils
One thing you never hear about these days, for babies...
Cinder tea Does t'same job as Gripe Water

Replied: 19th Mar 2011 at 01:19
Last edited by ©art©: 19th Mar 2011 at 01:21:25

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

They stick candles in their ears these days - it looks dangerous to me.

Replied: 15th Nov 2015 at 16:18

Posted by: jo anne (34699) 

Were Ernie Taberner's recollections in a book, or a Past Forward article, I-spy? (*Online Archive)

Replied: 16th Nov 2015 at 08:23

Posted by: norman prior (817) 

I-spy, the cure for constipation was caster oil. Far better remedies today.

Replied: 16th Nov 2015 at 14:07

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

It's a while back but I'm fairly certain it was a book,probably from the library.
I must start going again

Replied: 16th Nov 2015 at 14:08

Posted by: jo anne (34699) 

I-spy, I think you might've missed Norman giving you the cure for that - castor oil.

Replied: 16th Nov 2015 at 14:17

Posted by: norman prior (817) 

The important result of all those horrible cures was, we survived.

Replied: 16th Nov 2015 at 14:21

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

Replied: 16th Nov 2015 at 14:25

Posted by: maggie (511) 

Roundabout the period that WW2 was declared, I was very ill. The bed was downstairs, & I was "put out" while the doctor lanced over 30 swellings on my head - my hair had been cut. From then on, life was terrible. I had Kaolin poultices on my chest - very hot - and the nurse came daily to "dress" the sores on my head with Dettol & hot water. Even after all this time, I cannot bear the smell of Dettol. When I was better & was allowed out to play, my life was made a torment by the other children because of my short hair. How's that for an early memory?

Replied: 17th Nov 2015 at 09:22

Posted by: Jazzy (8656) 

Morning Maggie, you were obviously very ill, not least because the bed was "brought downstairs" I remember that happening at our house.

You certainly went through it, that treatment sounds positively medieval!

Hope you and yours are well Maggie

Take care.

Jennifer

Replied: 17th Nov 2015 at 09:41

Posted by: Anne (4384) 

Was there anything to cure mumps?

Replied: 17th Nov 2015 at 10:07

Posted by: Jazzy (8656) 

I don't think so Anne, I remember having mumps, very painful!

Replied: 17th Nov 2015 at 11:00

Posted by: maggie (511) 

Thank you Jazzy, I am surviving - just, my husband is in hospital having had a stroke. I do have good support. Going back to my illness, my parents had to pay for my treatment. Mr. Miller was the doctor's collector, he came round every Friday for money.

Replied: 19th Nov 2015 at 08:27

Posted by: momac (12409) 

When my Daughter was a baby I couldn't cure her
nappy rash come what may..my Mam took one look and
put Robins Starch on,guess what. it cured it.

Maggie,I wish you and your husband all the luck in
the world..I really do.

Replied: 19th Nov 2015 at 19:07

Posted by: Jazzy (8656) 

Maggie, so sorry to hear your husband has had a stroke. I hope he makes a good recovery.

I'm glad you have good support, take care now and keep your chin up maggie.

Jennifer xxxx

Replied: 19th Nov 2015 at 19:14

Posted by: maggie (511) 

Thank you for the kind words I have received on this. I do have a happier memory. I was well enough to sit up, but the bed was still downstairs. When war was declared, the Government overnight nationalised all goods trains. Fyyfes had just got in a boatload of bananas, & they had been loaded onto the trains. They were all taken out & put by the lines. The Railway men were told to help themselves. This my Dad did, I remember sitting up in bed eating one. He was able to give them to everyone in the street.

Replied: 22nd Nov 2015 at 08:51

Posted by: bentlegs (5295)

For burns or scalds, my Mother drench the area in brown vinegar it had to be done within 30 seconds but it did work,No blisters or pain,

Replied: 22nd Nov 2015 at 14:52

Posted by: bentlegs (5295)

For burns or scalds, my Mother drench the area in brown vinegar it had to be done within 30 seconds but it did work,No blisters or pain,

Replied: 22nd Nov 2015 at 14:56

Posted by: staffbullterrier (2224)

my nanna use to put butter on any bumps i got

Replied: 23rd Nov 2015 at 14:16

Posted by: PeterP (11223)

If you got stung the cure was to coat the sting lump with dolly blue.

Replied: 29th Nov 2015 at 08:44

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

You were mollycoddled peterp - isn't that a great word.

Replied: 2nd Dec 2015 at 22:59

Posted by: Jazzy (8656) 

Bentlegs, I've never heard of that one, but I will certainly try it. I burn my arm with monotonous regularity getting stuff out of the oven. For some reason always my right arm!

Replied: 2nd Dec 2015 at 23:12

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

apparently I've got a claustrophobic big toe on my left foot.

Replied: 5th Dec 2015 at 23:28

Posted by: Jazzy (8656) 

Does it keep trying to get out of your sock i-spy?

Replied: 5th Dec 2015 at 23:44

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

It does jazzy and there's no darned cure these days.

Replied: 6th Dec 2015 at 00:04

Posted by: momac (12409) 

i-spy..have you ever thought of tying it to your
little toe..bet that would cure it.

Replied: 6th Dec 2015 at 07:39

Posted by: norman prior (817) 

Bentlegs, Brown Sugar? you must have been well off.
That would be the time when the next door neighbour would borrow a cup of sugar.

Replied: 13th Dec 2015 at 14:16

Posted by: aussie94 (2397)

My Grandma swore by caoline poltice (is that correct) for sore throats and boils knit bone for sprains swell etc

Replied: 14th Dec 2015 at 07:33

Posted by: momac (12409) 

aussie94..you can still buy kaolin but it's completely
different..my Mam used to put it under the grill to warm,it doesn't need that now,you just apply it cold and it's very good.

Replied: 14th Dec 2015 at 11:12

Posted by: aussie94 (2397)

momac that is amazing i thought it would be well gone by now.But , true and tried products will stay the course. I must ask my Pharmacist if she stocks it.

Replied: 15th Dec 2015 at 07:25

Posted by: momac (12409) 

Just a little tip..if you or your youngster get soap or
shampoo in your eyes..breath on a towel and place it on your
eye..it will clear it,don't ask how it works..it just does.

Replied: 18th Dec 2015 at 08:56

Posted by: Joseph77 (inactive)

Neatsfoot oil for rheumatism, sticky but effective so I was told.

Elmos is your cousin one of the Griffins?

Replied: 7th Sep 2016 at 10:29

Posted by: elmos (2784) 

Yes,shes a Griffin passed away now a wonderful woman.

Replied: 7th Sep 2016 at 19:49

Posted by: Joseph77 (inactive)

Cheers.

Replied: 8th Sep 2016 at 07:56

Posted by: dennis dickinson (1131)

A few years ago I had a large 'boil' on my neck. It wouldn't come to a head and I couldn't burst it. I cured it using a milk bottle into which I had filled with boiling water. Immediately before covering the boil with the neck of the bottle I poured the boiling water out. The vacuum created in the bottle sucked the boil (I thought at one stage it was going to suck all of my neck into the bottle !).
Suddenly with great gusting the boil 'popped' and all the contents was splattered over the bottom of the bottle. The boil never reappeared and I destroyed the bottle, so don't worry about the hygiene of the bottle being reused.

Replied: 15th Sep 2016 at 20:25

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

Don't think I'll bother about any supper

Replied: 15th Sep 2016 at 20:42

Posted by: priscus (inactive)

You weren't going to have a 'boil in the bag' were you?

Replied: 15th Sep 2016 at 21:26

Posted by: i-spy (15241) 

Replied: 15th Sep 2016 at 21:30

 

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