Acid Indigestion: Warm a cup of milk and steep four or five eucalyptus leaves in it. Drink this to ease discomfort

Aqua Vitae: Considered and excellent elixir of health for hundreds of years, this liqueur may be prepared and taken once a day, like a vitamin. To a liter of brandy add five or six bay leaves, a teaspoon of cardamom seed, a teaspoon of clove, two teaspoons each of angelica, chamomile, lemon rind, fennel seed, licorice, nutmeg, cinnamon, several slices of ginger root (to your taste), and a handful of juniper berries along with sugar or honey to sweeten. This may be warmed to incorporate the herbs, or left in a sunny window, then strained after about a month.

Athlete’s Foot: Besides keeping your feet dry and powdered with Orrin root, try a vinegar rinse (one cup water, one teaspoon cider vinegar) to which one tablespoon thyme and red clover have been added. Soak for 15 minutes.

Bee/Wasp Stings: A drop each of tincture or myrrh or onion juice will help draw out the poison

Boils: Paint the sore with a tincture of iodine, caster oil, cohosh root and sassafras root mixed with one half pint of whiskey.

Bruises: Take one pound of almond oil with one cup each arnica flowers, Balm of Gilead and St John’s Wort, all of which should be bruised, and warm over a low flame. When the oil has taken all the color out of the buds, cool and strain the liquid, applying as needed to the bruised area.

Burns: A poultice made from wheat flour, molasses and baking soda will relieve a burn and often hasten the healing process.

Canker Sore: Sorrel soaked in warm water until soft, then strained as a tea should help clear them up more quickly.

Chapped Skin: To one ounce wax add four ounces of glycerin and four to five drops of oil of roses (or other scent you like). Warm until well mixed and apply as needed.

Coughs: In three pints of boiling water, place peppermint leaves, one cup of rum, one half cup lemon juice, one once cinnamon bark and one ounce comfrey root. After these are well blended, strain and add half a pound of sugar and two ounces of honey, bringing the entire mixture to a rolling boil. Cool and store in an air tight container for use as a cough syrup.

Dandruff: An excellent after shampoo rinse for dandruff can be made by taking one cup each violet leaves, peppermint, nettle, red clover, witch hazel, and rosemary. Mix them together. Before shampooing, warm a quarter cup of the dried herbs in two cups of water for your rinse.

Earache: Use ten drops of anise oil, sweet almond oil, onion juice and a pinch of pepper tied in a small cloth and placed in the ear (carefully). Then wrap your head in a warm towel for 15-20 minutes as you lay on the opposite side of your body.

Eye Rinse: In a half pint of water, warm one ounce of elder flowers and a half teaspoon of salt. Strain and use as needed to refresh eyes or relieve itching.

Fever: Warm one quart of whiskey with the peels of two oranges and one lemon. Take two teaspoons after each meal.

Heart Burn: To four ounces of water add two teaspoons each of cinnamon, lavender flower, baking soda, peppermint leaves and one half teaspoon ground ginger and allow to steep like a tea. Strain and drink warn in half-cup quantities after meals.

Infections: To ten ounces petroleum jelly add two sliced onions and two ounces each beeswax, honey and elder leaves. Warm over a low flame for about 30 minutes. Strain and apply to the wound with a clean dressing.

Itching: Blood root pulverized and steeped in apple vinegar until well incorporated will ease the itch. Lotions made from aloe, lanolin, coconut oil, and/or cocoa butter also help greatly. Another alternative is a poultice made from two tablespoons each tansy, catnip, horehound and hops mixed with vinegar.

Liniment: To one pint of cider vinegar add one ounce of aconite root, and a teaspoon each tincture of myrrh, oil of cedar, peppermint, clove, wormwood and thyme. If you do not have the herbs in oil form, the whole herb may be warmed in the cider then strained for use. For a lineament which will be warm to the skin, add two teaspoons camphor, one teaspoon bayberry and one teaspoon cayenne pepper to increase circulation.

Nose Bleed: It is said that if you make chewing motions with your mouth while your fingers are in your ears, this will stop the bleeding

Poison Ivy: Tincture of one pint black alder bark to one quarter water and one cup olive oil. Wash frequently. A viable and easier alternative is to make a poultice of clay mud.

Sleeplessness: Two raw onions eaten before bed with a healthy portion of bread and butter is said to aid sleep. However, due to the sensitive nature of many stomachs, I would recommend valerian, catnip and peppermint tea as a good substitute.

Sore Throat: A gargle made from black tea with a teaspoon of lavender flowers, a quarter teaspoon salt and a quarter teaspoon vinegar will help reduce pain. An alternative to this is sage tea mixed with honey and lemon.

Stomach Ache: A tea of mint, strawberry leaf, catnip and blackberry with one tablespoon of brandy should ease the stomach. An alternative is brown rice which is pulverized and allowed to stand in warm water for 15 minutes. To this add a dash of sugar, nutmeg and an equal quantity of boiled milk is added then drunk. An elixir said to ease sour stomachs is made from two pints of brandy, a half teaspoon of clove, two teaspoons cinnamon, and a pound of blackcurrant. Soak all together for two weeks and add sugar to taste. Take by the teaspoon after meals.

Sty: A used tea bag which is still warm, applied to the sty overnight will help greatly

Toothache: Oils of peppermint and clove mixed with a bit of rum and applied directly to the tooth should ease the pain until you can get to a dentist.

Warts: A wild turnip or sliced potato rubbed on the wart for 3 days and then buried is supposed to be a sure cure. While I cannot say if this actually works, there are many reports to indicate that it does!

Disclaimer: The author and poster of these remedies takes no responsibilities for any harm caused by the use of these recipes.

From: The Urban Pagan. Author: Patricia Telesco