The Farmers Own Book 15

The Farmers Own Book 15

EFFECTUAL CURE FOR RHEUMATISM.

 

The following receipt, given by an Englishman to a respectable tradesman

of Limerick, (Ireland,) who had for a considerable time labored under the

most violent rheumatic pains in all his limbs and joints, having been

used by him as directed but 5 or 6 times, as he states, eradicated the

disease completely. Anxious that so effectual a remedy should be made

publicly known we publish the recipe:

 

Take 1 ounce of sulphur, 1¼ ounces of saltpetre, 1½ ounces gum guscomb,

2 nutmegs; the whole to be finely powdered in a mortar and 12 ounces of

molasses. A tea spoonful to be taken every night on going to bed; should

it operate too much on the bowels, a smaller quantity is to be taken.

 

 

PLASTER FOR RHEUMATISM.

 

Or Pains in the Back, &c. It is said to be a certain cure. Take 1 pound

of rosin and melt it over a slow fire, then add ½ pint of tar pouring in

slowly, stirring all the time; when it is well mixed pour all into cold

water, and work it well with your hands. As soon as it is cool and stiff

enough, spread it on a linen rag and apply it to the affected part. The

plaster should be a little larger than the pain extends--if you put the

plaster on sheep skin it will be better. This is sure to give relief.

 

 

TO MAKE HONEY WITHOUT BEES.

 

Take 8 pounds best brown sugar, 1½ pounds rendered honey, 1 ounce cream

of tartar, 4 drops essence of wintergreen, 2 drops essence of peppermint,

2 ounces best molasses, 3 parts of a pint pure cold water, dissolve the

cream of tartar, then put all in a tin or bell metal vessel, let boil

gently 6 or 8 minutes, stirring and mixing occasionally; then beat up the

white of 2 eggs into a foam, and stir them in, and when nearly cool stir

in 2 pounds more of bees honey; skim off whatever may rise to the top.

If you want it nice and clean, strain it through a coarse cloth as soon

as you have the eggs stirred in.--If you strain it put in the 2 lbs. of

honey after it is strained. This makes an excellent honey. The addition

of the eggs is simply to give it the appearance of having combs in it,

but can be left out if you wish. The same honey may be used for the

second making.

 

 

JUDKIN’S OINTMENT.

 

Take 1 pound of red lead, ¾ pound rosin, 1 pint linseed oil, 3

tablespoonsful lamp black, 2 ounces British oil, ½ ounce sugar of lead

finely pulverized. Boil this over a slow fire one hour, then add 1

pint more of linseed oil, and boil another hour, when done add ½ pint

of turpentine while cooling off, stir and mix well, do not put the

turpentine in when first taken off the fire. Let it cool 5 minutes, then

pour in the turpentine slowly, stirring well. Should it catch on fire

while pouring in the turpentine, put a lid or cover over the vessel

immediately to smother the fire. There is no danger in making if careful,

as it will be easily smothered. Pour out into a new earthen crock, let

cool off, and when cool put into a jar or tin box. There is nothing

better than this preparation for wounds, fresh or old boils, and cannot

be surpassed for scalds, burns, &c.

 

 

DIRECTIONS FOR USE.

 

Spread a thin coat of the ointment on a piece of linen rag large enough

to cover the scald or burn, which should be renewed twice a day.--Scrape

the old ointment off, and the rag may be used again with another coat of

fresh ointment. For boils cut a hole in the rag so as to give it room to

open and discharge its contents; renew the ointment three times a day.

This is considered one of the best ointments of the age. Give it a trial

and its effects will soon be felt.

 

 

REMEDY FOR THE BITE OF A SNAKE.

 

Take the spirits of camphor made of whiskey and apply it to the bite,

turning the bottle which contains it over the bite and let it remain on

until all the poison is drawn out. The bottle used should have a large

mouth so that it may cover the wound entirely. Drink freely of the

whiskey until you begin to feel its effects. This done in time has never

failed.

 

 

FOR THE PILES.

 

Take the kernel of three peach seeds, mash them well, then add hog’s lard

or fresh butter, not salted, enough to form a salve and rub this between

two butter plates until it becomes of a bluish color, grease with it and

take enough rhubarb to keep the bowels open.

 

 

CERTAIN CURE FOR CANCER.

 

Take 1 pint of strong ley and boil down till it forms a salve, then apply

every 15 minutes until seven plasters have been applied, and as soon as

it begins to bleed stop the applications, then work the core out and

grease with hog’s lard to kill it; heal with ointment or some good salve.

When the ley has been boiled down, should the substance that remains

become hard, work it into a salve. This is also good for the cure of

fistula or poll evil in horses.

 

 

FOR WHITE SWELLINGS.

 

Take 1 handful of mullin leaves and ½ pint of old rye whiskey; boil these

together and strain, then add 1 gill of turpentine and 2 gills of spirits

of camphor. Bathe well until all the swelling and soreness has left, wrap

with flannel which should he dampened with the lotion; this is a certain

remedy.

 

 

TO KEEP CIDER SWEET.

 

Make the cider as late in the fall as possible from solid apples, without

using any water, put away immediately from the press, and lay it in some

place where it may remain quiet, let the place be as cool as possible.

Fill the barrel up full, take the bung out and leave it out for four

days, filling it up occasionally as it settles or works out. Should the

cider stop working under 4 days, rack it off carefully from the dregs,

which should be done as soon as the cider stops working, then put your

cider into a clean sweet barrel--it should be a barrel that has had

whiskey or brandy in it--if not, rinse with water until perfectly clean,

then sweetened by putting in a small quantity of whiskey. If this cannot

be done soak your barrels well so that they may be sweet and clean. After

having racked your cider off from the dregs carefully, put in the whites

of 6 eggs, battered light, and a scant ½ pint of mustard seed. Bung up

and in 5 or 6 weeks rack it off again carefully from the dregs. Cleanse

the barrel well and put in the same barrel--½ gallon of old rye whiskey

will add considerably to its flavor. If your cider is very sour, add from

3 to 5 lbs. white sugar; to insure its preservation it should be strained

through a cloth from the press. By being careful--cider put up in this

way will keep for 5 years.

 

 

FOR BOILED CIDER.

 

Make the cider late in the fall, using none but sound apples, not even

those with small specks in, without any water. Take it right from the

press and put it in a copper kettle; boil it one hour from the time it

commences; skim it off as the skum arises as clean as you can; then

pour into a clean, sweet whiskey barrel, put into a bag scant ½ pint

of mustard seed; let the bag down through the bung hole by a string,

making the string fast to the barrel so as it can be drawn out again

conveniently. It may be flavored with ground cinnamon or cloves if you

fancy the taste. Cider put up in this way will keep a long time and makes

an excellent drink, by adding ½ gallon of old rye whiskey it may be kept

a number of years. Cider, either from the press or boiled, put into

bottles or jugs, corked up tight and sealed over with sealing-wax; it can

be kept many years, and makes a delicious drink.

 

 

CHERRY BRANDY.

 

Press out the juice and add 1 gallon of water to 12 gallons of the juice;

then dissolve in the juice 1 pound of white sugar to the gallon; boil

slowly in a copper kettle, and skim off what rises to the top. Do not

boil too long or it will get thick; when the skum stops rising freely

pour it into some vessel to cool. Do not allow it to stand in the kettle

to cool. When it has become cool put into whatever vessel you wish to

keep it in, and add as much old rye whiskey as may suit your taste, say

from 1 to 3 gallons. The better the whiskey is the better your brandy

will be. Black heart cherries are the best if they can be had. This makes

a much better drink than port wine.

 

 

BLACK OR DEWBERRY CORDIAL.

 

For diarrhœa or summer complaint. This is made by adding 1 pound of

white sugar to 3 pounds of black or dewberries, allowing them to stand

for twelve hours, then pressing out the juice and strain well, adding 1

third part good french brandy and 1 tea spoonful of finely pulverized

allspice in every part of the cordial, which is ready for use at once.

This cordial cannot be surpassed for children and weak stomachs, &c.

 

 

BLACK OR DEWBERRY WINE.

 

An excellent wine and a valuable medicine for home use. To make a wine

equal to port wine, take ripe blackberries, or dewberries are best;

press out the juice, let it stand thirty-six hours to ferment, skim

off whatever rises to the top, then to every gallon of the juice add

one quart of water and 3 pounds of white sugar. Let this stand in open

vessels for 24 hours, skim and strain it, then barrel it up until March,

when it should be racked off carefully from the dregs, and bottled up for

use.

 

 

GAS BEER.

 

For 8 gallon vessel--take three pints of fresh yeast, 3 pints of New

Orleans molasses, put into your keg, then add 3 gallons of fresh water,

bung up, and shake to mix well. Then take a tin bucket and put in one

tea spoonful of ground cinnamon, 1 of ground cloves, 3 tablespoonsful of

ground allspice, 1 of ginger, 3 pints of molasses, then pour on it hot

water and mix well; let this stand some 10 or 15 minutes, then pour it

into the keg and fill up with fresh water, bung up tight; put something

over the bung to keep it from working out--use a strong keg for this

purpose. This makes an excellent cooling drink in summer. Lay your keg in

the sun several hours or until it commences to work.--In cold weather lay

your