Amish Home Remedies: Flu, Frost-Bite, and Fever

Home remedies are always fun to read.  I do believe in the wisdom accumulated over generations before the dawn of modern medicine.  Of course I also believe in modern medicine. But sometimes there is at least a kernel of something to these home remedies.  The Amish, who historically lived in insular isolation in the USA, had to be self-sufficient and that often meant doctoring to one's own.  These are some home remedies from the Wickey sisters in Switzerland County, Indiana's Amish community.  Read and try at your own risk, no liability is assumed from Amish365.com or Kevin Williams if you try one of these with bad results, I am just sharing them for cultural insight.

Flu prevention:  put a few red coals on a little tin container. Put 1 teaspoon sulphur on hot coal. This will create fumes.  Make a round through the house very evening for one week.

Flu in stomach and bowels:  1 quart water, 2 tablespoons vinegar,½ teaspoon salt. Drink as much of this as you can in one day.

Flu in stomach:  Mix equal parts elderberry blossoms and peppermint leaves (crushed). Mix well 1 heaping teaspoon to a cup of boiling water. Cover. Drink when cool.  1 cup every hour till relieved.

Frost bite:  1 ounce olive oil, 1 ounce turpentine, 1 ounce ammonia.  Mix well and bottle. Rub a small amount into frostbitten skin.

Fever:  For any kind of fever rub apple cider vinegar on temples and soles of feet.  When fever is back to normal wash off temple and feet as temperature will keep going down.

Fever:  a tea made of powdered thyme, 1 /2 teaspoon to a cup of boiling water.  Give in teaspoon doses till relieved. For older people, make tea stronger. Drink 4 or 5 cps until relieved.