Disclaimer: This exhibition is intended as an insight into the daily lives of people in the past, and is not medical advice. If you are unwell please speak to a medical professional.
Home Healthcare
A digital exhibition presented by Mrs Smith’s Cottage, Using research and Images from Catherine Waites and Hannah Sylvester Medical Herbalist, The District Herbalist.
Mrs Smith spent many years of her life caring for others through sickness and old age. For her employers in her roles as a ladies companion, then, when she returned to Navenby in the 1920s she provided care for her adoptive mother Mary, adoptive brother Fred, and later on for her husband Joe.
This exhibition shares some of the home remedies Mrs Smith is likely to have known or used when caring for employers, friends, and relatives. All from the 1930s and 40s we will explore some of the science behind how and why they work, while taking a brief look at attitudes to keeping healthy. Taking time to explore some of the plant knowledge which would have been a part of home treatments.
Image Right: A black and white image Mrs Smith in 1918, sat on the arm of a chair and working with her hands.
Several of the home remedies we still think of today were around in the 1930’s and 40’s.
This was a time before the National Health Service, which provides medical care free at the point of use. As a result lower income families might not be able to afford to see a doctor or buy medicines. Meaning that they would need to be able to treat common household aliments with the things they could easily got hold of.
There are a lot of differences between our lives today and the lives of people in the 1930s and 40s, some of these differences have an impact on our health. In the past preventing sickness was an important concern, which lead to a lot of research into links between the cold weather and the common cold. This is the origin of the myth that going out in the cold with wet hair or feet will lead you to get a cold.
Diet is a key part of keeping healthy, and preventing sickness. You would not find much processed food (if any) in the pantries of working people from the 1930s and 40s, whereas today almost everyone eats some processed foods every day.
As well as a difference in diet, local communities would have a more active role in preventing the spread of illness. News of a sick neighbor would spread quickly, and everyone knew to stay clear of anything that might be contagious.
This preventative approach meant that keeping a family healthy, and free from sickness, was more than just knowing remedies and being able to identify herbs and other medicinal plants. It was about a healthy life style and communities working together.
The Common Cold
A cold is a very common viral infection that mainly affects the nose, mouth, throat and sinuses, it gives symptoms such as; A runny or stuffy nose, Sore throat, Cough, Congestion, Slight body aches or a mild headache, Sneezing, Low-grade fever, Generally feeling unwell (malaise).
Most of the time they last for around a week or two, and usually go away without medical treatment. This does not remove the fact that a cold leaves you feeling generally unwell and often grumpy. Therefore, many people turn to home remedies and cures to help relieve symptoms and assist their immune system to clear the cold faster.
Honey and Whisky
Often called a hot toddy, this warm drink is a combination of honey, warm water, and whisky. It works in several different ways.
Honey helps to remove mucus from the throat which coats the throat, soothing it and preventing dry coughs.
Alcohol can help to widen blood vessels making it easier for mucus membranes (like the inside of your throat and nose) to deal with infections. It may also help the patient get some rest which is vital to getting over a cold.
The warmth of the drink is also useful for clearing throats and calming coughs. It was also common to replace the alcohol with lemon, so that it can be given to children.
Warming Soup
A homemade chicken or vegetable soup helps clear colds because of its anti-inflammatory effects. The heat of the soup can also help to clear the sinuses, as well as the various ingredients being healthy and containing important minerals and vitamins.
Soup is also easy to eat when ill, so helps balance dehydration (lack of water) and malnourishment (lack of important nutrients) due to low appetite.
The BBC Good Food website has a very good Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, which includes ginger to help settle the stomach and warm the body.
Salt and Mustard
Mustard Plaster
Used for colds, runny noses, rheumatism, and various respiratory ailments. A plaster would be made from combining dry mustard powder, a little flour, water, and either mineral oil, olive oil, or egg white to form a paste. Spread this over a thin piece of cloth and then place the cloth on the skin. The mustard produces heat (and can blister the skin), the heat helps to relax the lungs and improve breathing and can also help clear sinuses.
Salt Water Gargle
This well known cure for sore throats helps by pulling mucus out of the throat and soothing the inflamed tissue.
Do not try these at home
Bites and Stings
For as long as humans and insects have existed on the planet together there have been stings and bites, causing itchy raised bumps on the skin.
The reaction depends on the insect, i.e. bee stings and wasp stings cause different reactions in the body than a tick bite does, and reactions can differ between people. Some people have very severe allergies to bee/wasp venom, which is injected from their stingers. These home remedies will not help a severe reaction, and in these cases prompt professional medical attention is needed.
Normal reactions are caused by the body flooding the bite or sting area with histamine, a compound which is a main part of the inflammatory response. This is why most modern sting/bite treatments are antihistamine creams and tablets. They can help to calm the itching and swelling.
Onion
Small slices of onion can be placed directly onto the skin, where the juices will reduce the itching and swelling.
Onion also has antifungal properties which can reduce infection risks.
Do not try this at home.
Honey
A drop of honey would be applied directly to the bite/sting.
Honey has antibacterial properties that can prevent the bite getting infected, it is also soothing and can help reduce itching.
Do not try this at home.
Baking Soda Poultice
Used for bee stings, this works because the alkaline baking soda neutralises the acid in the sting, soothing it, and reducing the effect of the venom, which in turn reduces the itchiness and swelling. This could be applied directly or spread on a cloth and applied.
Do not try this at home.
Skin Irritations
The term skin irritation covers a wide variety of conditions, but most have similar symptoms, so before sophisticated diagnostic techniques they would have all been treated the same.
These conditions can include things like rashes caused by Poison Ivy or Poison Oak, as well as allergic reaction rashes and even things like eczema (a chronic skin condition resulting in dry itchy skin) and acne.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal poultices and baths are used to sooth most skin irritations. Oatmeal has a variety of active properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components.
These all can help soothe the itch of skin irritations. Oatmeal paste can be made by mixing equal amounts of oatmeal and water in a bowl to form a thick paste. Spoon some paste onto a washcloth and hold it, paste-side down, on the irritated skin for about 10 minutes. Then wipe the area clean.
If you have many insect bites, try an oatmeal bath instead. Sprinkle 1 cup of oatmeal or ground oats into a bathtub full of warm water. Soak in the oatmeal bath for 20 minutes, occasionally rubbing some of the clumped oatmeal onto irritated areas of your skin.
Do not try this at home.
Calamine or Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Used for centuries to reduce itching and as a disinfectant, Apple cider vinegar can help reduce skin irritation. Easy to make at home with apple cores, it is a fermentation of apple and sugar that creates a vinegar. In the late 18th century it was prescribed to treat poison ivy rashes. Modern uses include for psoriasis and general itching.
Do not try this at home.
Calamine Lotion
Used for skin rashes and to treat poison oak and poison ivy, Calamine is made from Zinc Oxide and Ferric Oxide, mixed with additional ingredients to form a lotion. It is available over the counter but has recorded uses from 1500BC. It dries out skin irritations which can be soothing and it helps reduce itchiness. Calamine is incredibly gentle, it is safe for use in pregnancy and on young children, because of this it is also often used to sooth childhood chicken pox.
Ask your pharmacist if it would be right for you before trying.