Tried and tested

WEIRD AND USELESS TREATMENTS

Some traditional ‘cures’ have fallen into disuse for a good reason – they don’t work. Here are the failures:

TALLOW POULTICE A flannel was soaked in warm tallow (from beef) and placed on the chest. This may not have cured the cold, but was perhaps comforting for a little while, if you discount the effort of removing the messy cold tallow from your bedclothes and skin.

DIRTY SOCKS Another uncomfortable remedy using lard involves socks – the grubbier the better. Soak filthy socks in lard and swathe around your neck like a scarf. Given that this particular cure belongs to medieval days prior to washing machines and detergents, most socks would have been pretty pongy anyway. FROG SKIN COCKTAIL A decoction of juice or wine with powdered skin of a frog. Did it work? Unlikely. MUSTARD PLASTER A paste made from mustard seed powder, mixed with goose fat and smeared on the chest, was a popular pre-First World War remedy. Mustard is so fiery that it can cause blistering and damage to the skin. The vapours from the mustard, though, may help clear nasal and bronchial passages. WHITE BRYONY William Fernie’s 1897 book Herbal

Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure, advises a tincture of wild white bryony as a cure for “coughs and colds of a feverish bronchial sort”. NOT one to try at home as the plant is dangerously toxic, has incredibly strong purgative qualities and blisters the skin.

SNAIL SYRUP An ancient German cure. Lots of snails, prised from their shells, were pounded together with honey. If you fancy trying this at home, this remedy served a dual purpose. Not only was it said to soothe a sore throat, it was also used as a face cream.