Cold
Sister Rose’s Cajun Cough Stopper
Here’s a recipe for a Hot Toddy
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or orange, grapefruit and lemon juice combined)
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/4 cup bourbon
Add the spices to the juice and mix well. Bring the mixture to a boil, pour into a cup and add the honey. Add the bourbon. Inhale the steam and sip very slowly.
Makes 1 cup.
Peppermint For Colds and Flu
If you have a dry cold, drink peppermint tea and it will almost immediately ease your symptoms. And if your friends are scared of catching it from you, or you wish to keep your family free from infection, tell them to rub a little peppermint oil under the nose and round the throat, and to take a small dose as well, it is an antiseptic and a strong preventative of disease.
From: Gypsy Cures for Coughs and Colds
Romany Elderflower Cure for Colds
If you have access to an elderberry tree, its berries and flowers will quickly help to dispel your discomfort. Store elderflowers after drying them out in the sun, and you can make a healing beverage at any time by pouring boiling water over them and adding a little sugar. The Romanies claim that it puts paid to a head cold if taken immediately the first signs are noticed. This infusion is also soothing and will help to give a good night`s sleep. It will also calm the nerves.
Barberries For The Flu
If you stew barberry berries with a little water until they are soft, then squeeze them through a strainer, pressing out all the juice with a wooden spoon and add three pints of water to one of juice, you will have an excellent drink which, if taken hot at night, will induce the perspiration that drives out a cold
Balm for the Flu
If you are not sure whether it`s a cold or flu coming on, don`t hesitate, infuse 1 oz of fresh or dried balm with a pint of boiling water and take it very hot, last thing at night. It will drive out a cold and arrest an attack of influenza – but you should take it in good time when you feel the first symptoms coming.
From: Gypsy Cures for Coughs and Colds
Note: as to exactly which balm plant this refers to is unclear to me, so I am sharing this definition of balm from Britannica.com. Be sure to research any herb before you use it.
Balm, any of several aromatic herbs of the mint family, grown for their fragrant leaves. The best-known balm plant is Melissa officinalis, also called balm gentle or lemon balm, which is cultivated in temperate climates and used as a scent in perfumery, as a flavouring in such foods as salads, soups, sauces, and stuffings, and as a flavouring in liqueurs, wine, and fruit drinks. Other common mint balms include bastard balm (Melittis melissophyllum); bee balm, or bergamot (Monarda didyma); richweed, or horse balm (Collinsonia canadensis); field balm, or creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea); lesser calamint, or field balm (Clinopodium nepeta); and Molucca balm, or bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis). The use of balm in wine drinks and as a diaphoretic (induces heavy sweating) in medicinal teas can be traced back to ancient Greek and Asian cultures.
Herbal Tea For A Cold
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon dried Peppermint
- 1 teaspoon dried Yarrow
- 1 teaspoon dried Elder Flowers
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 pinch powdered mixed spices (Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
Infuse the herbs in the water for at least 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and honey to sweeten if necessary. Take a wine glassful every 2 hours.
This pleasant, soothing mixture will induce a gentle perspiration, thus helping to reduce a fever.
From: The Complete Book of Herbs and Spices
For information about the individual herbs visit: The Encyclopedia of Herbology
Cayenne Tea
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 cup boiling water or hot Milk
Stir the Cayenne into the liquid and sip slowly. This will warm the whole system and is an old remedy for warding off disease.
If the taste is too strong, take Cayenne in pill form, or try ground ginger with honey – a deliciously warming drink.
From: The Complete Book of Herbs and Spices
For information about the individual herbs visit: The Encyclopedia of Herbology
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