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prudence54

(27 posts)

101. Earaches we got warmed "sweet oil" drops in the ear. It was very soothing. Also a heating pad.

Mon Mar 16, 2026, 05:02 PM

11 hrs ago

For poison oak, we'd scrape some bark off an oak tree, boil in water and make a tea with it, let it cool and dab on the rash. It would dry out faster, or so we thought at the time. That was from an old guy who was born in the late 1800s and loved to share old home remedies with my mom. Also: DMSO on scrubbed clean skin for joint pain, inflammation and arthritis. Mom would buy it from the farm store, it was only ever approved for horses. It nearly instantly makes your mouth taste like clams = very weird. I never really noticed any difference but the reason my mom was convinced it worked miracles because my aunt, her sister, applied it to the neck & back of my newly quadraplegic cousin (drunk driver victim) every day for years, and he regained about 80% use of his arms.

I'm nearly 55 and still alive after use of these home remedies so take them for what they are worth.

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debm55

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What home remedy did your mother or grandmother use when you were young and sick as a child? Mine was a mustard [View all] debm55 Sunday OP

Chicken soup The Blue Flower Sunday #1

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Awww SuzyandPuffpuff Sunday #2

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Grandma always used... oldsoldierfadingfast Sunday #88

That is very interesting. Thank you for sharing with us, oldsoldierfadingfast. debm55 Sunday #89

My "never allow alcohol in her home"Grandma generally still had something hidden for "Hot Toddies" hlthe2b Sunday #5

Thank you very much for sharing your home remedy for us, hithe2b. debm55 Sunday #6

My mom was from the South Soul_of_Wit Sunday #33

They used to spray our throats with mercurochrome markodochartaigh Sunday #7

Oh my, I hated that stuff. Thank you for sharing, markodochartaigh. That would be terrible. debm55 Sunday #14

Mustard Plaster Shoobee Sunday #8

Yes, I remember when they lifted the cloth off, I had a large red square on my chest. Thank you for sharing, Shoobee. debm55 Sunday #10

Hot toddies were also given to us as kids when we had a cold or flu. 10 Turtle Day Sunday #9

Thank you very much for sharing, 10 Turtle Day. I did the gargling with hot salt water for a sore throat. debm55 Sunday #15

My grandmother... 2naSalit Sunday #11

thank you very much for sharing with us, 2naSalit. If you remember any others give them a post. debm55 Sunday #16

Oops... 2naSalit Sunday #31

That's okay. debm55 Sunday #35

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Interesting. I'm going to try to find some comfrey. Chronic left leg pain which has been LoisB Sunday #45

There's a warning that goes with comfrey... 2naSalit Sunday #47

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I remember coke syrup! Was yummy Freddie 11 hrs ago #105

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Thank you very much, biophile, for sharing. I remember the Geritol and an elixir called St. John's syrup. debm55 Sunday #18

When my boys were teething, my Nana told me to dip GPV Sunday #13

Thank you very much, GPV , for sharing with us. I remember that one. My family would rub the brandy on the gums. debm55 Sunday #19

Onion juice and sugar or vinegar and sugar for sore throat. Slice onion into a glass, pour LoisB Sunday #17

Thank you very much, for sharing with us, LoisB. That is a new one for me. debm55 Sunday #20

Sweet oil aka olive oil for earaches berniesandersmittens Sunday #21

Thank you very much for sharing the home remedy. berniesandersmittens. debm55 Sunday #37

A 2-Fer justaprogressive Sunday #23

Thank you very much for sharing that home remedy with us, justaprogressive. debm55 Sunday #39

Daily, in winter, a mixing spoon of Castor Oil or Cod Liver Oil on the way out the door for LoisB Sunday #24

I never had Castor Oil or Cod Liver Oil, Thank you very much for sharing, LoisB debm55 Sunday #40

You were lucky. If anyone ever tries to convince you to get anywhere near either, RUN. LoisB Sunday #46

Tincture of Merthiolate, or Golden Raisin Sunday #25

HAHAHAHAH. Thank you , Golden Raisin. Mine was Vaseline. Used for every booboo on the skin. debm55 Sunday #41

Vicks VapoRub sop Sunday #26

Agree. How about the Vick's thing you put in your nose for nasal stufffiness? Thank you for sharing, sop debm55 Sunday #42

My mother would put Vicks VapoRub up our noses. It's a miracle we survived. sop Sunday #43

Yuk. Thank you sop for sharing. That sounds terrible. debm55 Sunday #53

Hot milk in our ears for earache displacedvermoter Sunday #27

Oh wow. Did it work? Thank you for sharing displacedvermoter. debm55 Sunday #58

Very soothing I recall displacedvermoter Sunday #61

Thank you very much debm55 Sunday #67

Chicken soup Bluestocking Sunday #28

Thank you for sharing, Bluestocking. I had the canned stuff. But it worked like one of the vaporizers. debm55 Sunday #59

I grew up in Michigan JBTaurus83 Sunday #29

Vernors! Soul_of_Wit Sunday #32

Canada Dry here. multigraincracker Sunday #52

When I was (much) younger and went on my first flight JBTaurus83 Sunday #62

HAHAHHAHAHAH. Thank you JBTaurus83 debm55 Sunday #57

Yup! buzzycrumbhunger Sunday #91

Flat 7up or sprite for upset tummies. mwmisses4289 Sunday #34

Thank you very much for your home remedies, mwmisses4289. I would have the honey and lemon juice in hot tea. debm55 Sunday #50

Have a cup of tea you will feel better ☕ TommieMommy Sunday #38

HAHAHHAHAH. Thank you very much for sharing with us, TommieMommy. debm55 Sunday #49

Vicks Vapo Rub and Camphophanic. rsdsharp Sunday #44

Thank you very much for the home remedy, rsdsharp debm55 Sunday #48

Rubbing alcohol bottomofthehill Sunday #51

Oh, Thank you so much for sharing with us, bottomofthehill. I have never heard of that remedy before. debm55 Sunday #55

Vicks vapor rub WmChris Sunday #54

Oh my. You swallowed it? You are a brave soul, WmChris. debm55 Sunday #56

Black strap molasses in a cup of milk for your hair. debm55 Sunday #60

Gingerale with the bubbles stirred out. It was special because applegrove Sunday #63

Thank you very much for sharing with us.applegrove. that is interesing about the bubles being stirred out. debm55 Sunday #68

Barley water KT2000 Sunday #64

Thank you very much, for sharing with us, KT2000. That is interesting. debm55 Sunday #69

Never heard of barley water so I found this: Nittersing 13 hrs ago #97

I think I might too. Thank you for looking that up for us. Nittersing. debm55 12 hrs ago #98

Thank you! KT2000 11 hrs ago #99

This wasn't my mom or grandmother, but a friend's cold remedy Jilly_in_VA Sunday #65

HAHAHAHHAHAHAH. That's funny. Thank you Jilly_in_VA. debm55 Sunday #70

Red wine Danascot Sunday #66

Thank you very much for sharing with us, Danascot. debm55 Sunday #71

Canadian Club, lemon juice and honey nuxvomica Sunday #72

Hahahahahhhaha, Thanks for sharing with us, nuxvomica. That's funny. debm55 Sunday #73

Honey and lemon for sore throats Luciferous Sunday #74

Thank you very much for sharing with us. Luciferous. debm55 Sunday #75

my father was an MD pfitz59 Sunday #76

Thank you very much for sharing with us, pfitz59 debm55 Sunday #78

Something called paregoric. MLAA Sunday #77

Paregoric was also used to induce vomiting. When I was very young I remember it in the first aid case . Believe it or debm55 Sunday #81

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Oh wow. Thank you for sharing with us. MIButterfly. debm55 Sunday #84

Not my mother, but one of her first cousins. greatauntoftriplets Sunday #80

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Always had prune juice in the fridge. BlueWaveNeverEnd Sunday #85

HAHAHA. Yes , they do. Thank you for sharing with us. BlueWaveNeverEnd. It is used for constipation debm55 Sunday #87

My mom totally loved a disgusting concoction called milk toast. Her mother... 3catwoman3 Sunday #90

Thank you very much for sharing with us, 3catwoman3. I don't think I had that remedy. It doesn't sound very good. debm55 17 hrs ago #94

And here I ASKED for milk toast lol prudence54 10 hrs ago #107

Hot Tang! FM123 Yesterday #92

Thank you, FM123. that sounds very creative. debm55 17 hrs ago #95

Mercurochrome for cuts; Terpin Hydrate and Codeine for coughs; and Calamine for poison ivy. NBachers Yesterday #93

Thank you , NBachers. The same were used in my house too. debm55 17 hrs ago #96

Head leaning over a steaming pan of water. break congestion in nose and chest. debm55 11 hrs ago #100

Earaches we got warmed "sweet oil" drops in the ear. It was very soothing. Also a heating pad. prudence54 11 hrs ago #101

Thank you very much for sharing all your home remedies with us, prudence. Yes, I forgot about the heating pad for the debm55 6 hrs ago #110

Ginger ale for stomach aches, Vicks Vapo-Rub for colds (hated it!), Ocelot II 11 hrs ago #102

Thank you very much for sharing with us, Ocelot II. I had all your selections except for the milk toast. What was that debm55 6 hrs ago #111

Whiskey with some other ingredients. RandySF 11 hrs ago #103

Thank you very much RandySF for sharing with us. debm55 6 hrs ago #112

Whiskey & honey or BittyJenkins 11 hrs ago #104

Thank you very much for the selections, BittyJenkins. What was the sock for? debm55 6 hrs ago #113

Poultice jgurtlerterp 10 hrs ago #106

My grandmother did something similiar with cloth. But it was made with dried mustard and other things. heated in a pot debm55 6 hrs ago #115

Mom used coal oil wraps for any injury. bmbmd 10 hrs ago #108

Oh my. did it burn? Thank you very much bmbmd. I have never heard of that one before. debm55 6 hrs ago #114

My dad said to me, you're not sick, think Emile 10 hrs ago #109

Thank you very much for your post, Emile. Sometimes positive Thinking can only go so far. debm55 6 hrs ago #116