My Mama Helen's "Cures for What Ails Ye"
Many people would come to our house to see Mama Helen when they were sick, or be sent there by family members to be healed. The following are some of the "herbal blends" et. al., used by Mama Helen when healing was required in our family.
Cold Cure 1
Camphor block tied in cheesecloth, stitched in top shirt pocket to be near chest area, or hung around neck in a cheesecloth inside shirt. Aroma inhaled through nostrils and/or drawn through chest cavity.
Cold Cure 2
Raw onions peeled and eaten like an apple.
Cold Cure 3
Nastersiums leaves placed between two slices of homemade bread. Eaten as a sandwich to help ward off a cold in its early stages.
Bronchitis/Severe Colds
Mix of fresh garlic and sulphur powder eaten.
Fever
Use of match-me-if-you-can leaves crushed in vinegar or bay rum, tied in cheesecloth and placed on the forerehead. Removed when crisp, giving a sign that the fever had broken.
Sore Throat/Congestion
Use of hog lice inserted deep in the throat, the idea was as it moved down the throat, it carried the cold with it.
Contusions, Sores, Burns
Crushed banana leaves tied tightly to area with gauze, changed daily until healed.
Sunburn, Windburn, Rash
Peeled aloa soaked in water and applied to areas until healed.
Chapped/Burned Lips
Use of fork to scrape pulp from the Plopper leaves, and applied directly to lips for cooling effect, to draw out heat, and then healing.
Scalding/Burns
Crushed banana leaves, match-me-if-you-can leaves soaked in vinegar or bay run and applied directly to burned area. Wrapped with a whole banana leaf and secured with cheesecloth. Changed daily.
Centipede Bites
Mix Clorox (or any bleach product) with small amount of water and applied directly to centipede bite to take down swelling. Area later cut to allow drainage.
Bee Stings
Mix of blueing (washing type) with small amount of water and applied directly to bee bite.
High Blood Pressure
Green PawPaw boiled, then cooled. Drank as a tea to bring high blood pressure down.
Sprains/Joint Pain
Crushed match-me-if-you-can leaves soaked in vinegar and then wrapped in brown paper and tied to ankle or wrists.
Heath Tonic
The broth from boiled fish wasn't thrown away, it was served as a hot drink to promote strength, and stamina.
Vitamin Supplement
Collect scurvy grass from beach area, clean and cook. Mix with white rice and eaten in early Spring as a vitamin supplement.
Herbal Tea
Boiled fennel leaves and fennel root. Sweeten to taste.
Improved Eye Sight
Alexandria root, eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable.
Cleansing Inside Body (Tonic)
Boiled Father John leaves in water to make a tea blend. Drink liquid.
Laxative
Black ripe PawPaw seeds cored from fruit and eaten by the spoonful.
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