George's Heritage Chapters

George Taylor's Heritage

Home Remedies


Health Remedies as used by the Evans Taylor Family

By George Evans Taylor Jr.

I was reared on a rocky hill in the Cooper community. The location was/is on the Old Military Road about five miles North of Malvern, Ar near the Butterfield Road intersection. My parents were George Evans Taylor and Gladys Aline (Ennis) Taylor. I grew up there during the 40s and 50s and home remedies were used by our household and all other households that I was familiar with. The following is a list of items and their use.

<>Item: Baking soda with a glass of water.
Use: For excess stomach acid.
Remarks: With a loud belch, this always got the job done and still does!

<>Item: Baking soda and table salt with a drop of water.
Use: Used as tooth paste when used on the frayed end of a sasafras stick.
Remarks: Worked good but where would you find a sasafras stick now?

<>Item: Baking soda and vinegar.
Use: To relieve itching from poison oak, rashes, insect bites, etc.
Remarks: Did a lot of �fizzing�, don�t know how much good it did.

<>Item: Coal oil.
Use: Poured into flesh cuts made while cutting wood.
Remarks: Yep, coal oil (from coal), not kerosene. Worked!

<>Item: Red hot coals from the wood heater or fireplace.
Use: To �draw� poison from a rusty nail puncture, etc.
Remarks: Grandma Taylor did it to my foot, I�m still around!

<>Item: A few drops of coal oil on some sugar in a spoon.
Use: For coughs, colds and sore throats.
Remarks: Made you forget that you had a cold!

<>Item: Epson salts
Use: A store bought laxative.
Remarks: Had to be sure the Sears Roebuck catalog was where it should be!

<>Item: Iodine, a violet-like liquid.
Use: A store bought antiseptic.
Remarks: It burned an open cut, it is now removed from market.

<>Item: Liniment, a medicated liquid.
Use: Rubbed on skin to sooth sore areas.
Remarks: Could burn the skin. Worked good on the livestock, dad thought it worked on us also.

<>Item: Mercurochrome.
Use: Store bought antiseptic.
Remarks: Burned so much you forgot about the cut.

<>Item: Mineral oil.
Use: Constipation.
Remarks: Had to be sure the Sears Roebuck catalog was where it should be!

<>Item: Prunes.
Use: Constipation.
Remarks: For the older folk, slow but sure results.

<>Item: Salt in warm water.
Use: Gargle for sore throat, bad breath.
Remarks: Worked, some dentists still recommend this after extraction.

<>Item: Sulfur, pale yellow solid substance.
Use: Itch.
Remarks: Strong, foul odor, everyone knew you had the itch!

<>Item: Turpentine, a light colored oil.
Use: Put in cuts.
Remarks: Made you want to run fast!

<>Item: Vaseline or lard.
Use: Put on burns.
Remarks: Soothed and kept out infection.

<>Item: Vicks salve.
Use: Chest congestion, colds. It was put on a cloth pad on the chest.
Remarks: Strong odor, no one noticed because everyone used it!

By (February 3rd, 2003):
George Evans Taylor, Jr.
209 Lakeshore Drive
Muscle Shoals, Al 35661-1029