On reading that children's cold medications have been removed from the store shelves (for whatever reason), I am not really sure, but I suppose some child had a bad reaction to them, and thus the recall) I thought back to Grandma's home remedies. I was born in the 50's, and we were quite poor. I doubt we had any medical insurance, people think it is bad today, but back in the 50's I doubt if most people had any medical insurance, anyway we had to rely on what Grandma knew, unless we were on death's door. So for a simple cold, which in our day NO one went to a Dr. for a cure, we would get out the Raleigh's medicated ointment and a sock, some honey, lemon and a teaspoon of whiskey. I think there might have been some rubbing liniment added just so we wouldn't grow to like the stuff. haha
Off The Beaten Path
- Neoma
- Georgia, United States
- Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.
Thursday, December 6
Grandma's Remedies
Grandma would put about a tablespoon of ointment into a big spoon and set it on a hot stove until it melted, this was kind of tricky because if you got it too hot it would ignite. Then she would drip the hot ointment onto a big white sock until it was warm and quite odoriferous, and then she would put it around our neck and secure it with a huge safety pin. Next she would heat lemon, honey and the whiskey in a little pot and make us a toddy. This we would drink right before bed. The whiskey of course being mostly alcohol made us drowsy, the lemon stifles the urge to cough, and the honey soothes a raspy throat. All in all it worked quite well.
So now, I hear on the news the other night to give your children honey and lemon before bed instead of cough medicine, "Well, Grandma could have told them that."
However DO NOT give honey to a very young child, say; a year or under, it can give them botulism. My second son had this, and it is NO fun. I was young and stupid, and they hadn't done the research as yet and was unaware that honey could do this to a baby. People were into health food at the time Scott was born and more than one of my friends insisted that honey would be so much better for him in his cereal than sugar, WRONG. He was eight months old, and it about killed him. By then my grandma was too old and not making any home remedies anymore, besides I am not sure she had one for botulism.
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11 comments:
Hi Matey
We, have just literally had news over here in the UK that honey is far more soothing than any cough mixture (although I didn't know it could harm toddlers). However, I must admit to liking it with a couple of teaspoons of whiskey and lemon and made into a hot toddy.
Pete...;-0
XX
Hi there sweetie.....love your smile, :):) yes, the toddy is the best. I can not imagine my little tee totally gramma putting it in anything, but she did, strickly for medicinal purposes, mind you. haha
I have always used it for coughs, the mixture of lemon, honey and whiskey, A very nice grade of whiskey works best, hahahaha.....
Well we are off on another shopping trip....I have to get my stockings fixed, ( I do up one for the little guys to send with the presents) and I don't have them full....They have to be full...of course.
I will mail everything out on Monday, AND THEN I CAN relax....:):)
We have loads of honey, in our tea on toast etc, there was a doctor on TV talking about a honey (can't remember the name) that they are saying helps cancer, its 45 pound a jar but if it works, then its worth every penny.
Grandma certainly knew best! I didn't know that about not giving honey to under 1's, I do now though, thanks for that Nea.
Hi Queenie, I know that honey helps hayfever, or helps you not suffer as much. I had heard it told, but didn't really pay that much attention, and then tried it, and it worked, but the bees must be making the honey from the area in which you live, or so they say.
Not heard that it is a cancer cure though.....
Mom has non-hodgins lymphoma, she was in pretty bad shape back the year Scott Graduated from high school, she didn't think she would make it to Trevor's graduation. She had chemo and radiation, and the lumps were coming back in her neck. She read somewhere that sharks are the only mammals that they have not found cancer in, so she went and bought some of the Shark Cartilege at the health food store, and took it, and the lumps went away. I am not saying that is why, but she swears that is the reason, anyway, that was 12 years ago, she is 93 now and still going pretty strong. So maybe?
He Akela, no one knew at the time I gave it to Scott the risks. The Dr.'s were just learning, I think what happened to Scott helped them also. Because they could not find anything that could have been to blame aside from I was putting honey in his cereal. He got botulism and about died. It is the scariest thing in the world to watch a baby completely lethargic. He couldn't even cry. I think the only thing that saved him, up until he got sick, he was extrememly healthy and I was nursing him, so he had some reserves to draw on. I feel if he had already been a bit weak, he would not have made it.
nea, i heard a long time ago that honey was questionable because because it's not, like, pasteurized or something...
I had the sock too. For a sore throat Honey and tea is good.
Hi LIbby, yes that is what the Dr. said, it is "natural" which to most people means extra good. but it is unpasturized, and so bacteria is alive in it, and it seems to attach infants immune system more than an adult. I doubt they can say, and 11 month old shouldn't have it, but say a 13 month old can. I doubt seriously that any child under three should have honey to be safe.
Hi Betty, I loved my "grease" sock, I still make one up for myself when i am sick, and I do for the kids, it really helps you breathe, the vapors keep the nose open and make the chest feel warm and soothed. Anyone who hasn't tried it, should, when they have a cold, just remember you will have to shower in the morning because your chest will be greasy. haha We always wore flannel to bed, kept the heat in, and the grease off the sheets. Of course grandma didn't put that much grease in the sock so it didn't usually seep through anyway.
We used to get the honey and the whiskey mix, too. It tasted terrible but you didn't cough again the rest of the night. I made some up a few years ago for myself when I had an awful cold and couldn't stop coughing- still works. Remember the old soapstones?
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