HOME CURES
Phenol Sodique was a patent medicine that cured everything from cuts, infections, fungus, sunburn, dandruff, earaches, acne, and any other problem with the exterior of the human body. It came in liquid or powder and was sold in every local drug store. A drug company in Pennsylvania manufactured it and had gold medals printed right on the label from the Royal Court of England and the 1900 Worlds Fair in Paris. We knew it had to be good with medals on the label. Dad said it was a miracle cure, as did the Pennsylvania Aunts and Uncles. We mixed it 50/50 with water for a mild demand like small cuts and scrapes but full strength when there was an infection like gangrene.
We used it by the gallon and the powder by the pound in our house while growing toward adulthood. I preferred the powder for knife cuts while I learned to use a pocketknife. I got quite good at fixing my fingers in those growing years. Gauze and adhesive tape were all there was before Band-Aids were invented. It was a lot more difficult than peeling of today’s Band-Aid. One had to cut the adhesive tape, cut and fold gauze, put on the powder and then put it all on a cut finger without bleeding to death or getting blood all over the bathroom. Phenol Sodique power was so good at healing a wound without pain that I use to put it on a cut, sit down and watch the cut heal before my eyes. Dad had an ax slip off a frozen log and hit himself in his right shin. The ax cut though his boot to the bone. I never saw so much blood. He drove himself home for the Phenol Sodique and did his own repairs. It was deep and long for my young eyes. Mother wanted him to get stitches but he said it would do just fine with a wet bandage of Phenol Sodique. The deep cuts took a little longer to heal.
I had an ingrown toenail removed in the sixties and the doctor could not get it to heal with exotic salves and drugs. He said he would have to open it up to get the infection if it didn’t heal by the next week. He gave me a prescription of a new salve to try. I went home to use Phenol Sodique and in two days it was well. I never told him about our four gold medal cure-all.
The FDA decided to wipe out the patent medicines from drug stores by requiring the manufacturers to provide documentation of test results to ship across state lines. Phenol was proven to cause cancer in rats if they swam more than ten laps in the stuff. I have been sorry I didn’t get a 55-gallon drum of it before the deadline. We now have to use BFI powder, which cures cuts without pain almost as fast. BFI doesn’t have four GOLD MEDLES from The Royal Court of England and the 1900 Worlds Fair.
Brother Bud and I never had whooping cough, which was a killer of small children until a vaccine was discovered. We were put through an old Pennsylvania Dutch preventative ritual. On a night of a full moon you stand a kid with his or her back against a maple tree, bore a hole in at the height of the kid, cut a lock of hair, stuff it in the hole, plug up the hole, and when the kid grows above the hole he or she will not get whooping cough. It works because not one in our Pennsylvania Dutch family got whooping cough did we?
To remove warts on my hand and my leg, Dad put the sap of milkweed on them and gave instructions not to wash for 24 hours. I got out of a bath and washing dishes that night. In two days the warts had gone to wart heaven.
Dad had the best cures. Mother’s cures consisted of castor oil, rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, and her two favorites were Milk-of-Magnesia and Vicks VaporRub. When brother Bud and I got flu or colds, we were rubbed raw on the back and chest with Vicks. An old sheet was placed over the raw skin and Vicks which stuck to the body like glue, then came the pajamas, then in under the covers with the nose under to inhale the fumes. After we were in bed the windows were opened to freeze us as we slept so we wouldn’t get TB. All night long we were stuck to the sheets and even the bed. One didn't take baths until one was well so we could be Vicksed for days with the flu. It’s a wonder we lived through childhood.
Our two oldest girls got the treatment while my mom was keeper of the flock during the funeral of Shirl’s Dad. We found them all stuck by Vicks to a ripped bed sheet under their pajamas. Their long hair matted and smeared sticky to their faces. They looked like they had been sick a long time and near death. We thanked mom for taking good care of them. Took them home to scrape off the Vicks and put them in a hot bath to soak and a shampoo. The girls were happy to get rid the Vicks. The next morning, after a nights sleep in a clean bed, they were well and feeling great. I am sure the girls, as we never used Vicks in our houses for flu and colds for kids. I'd rather be sick than go the Vicks rout. BUT Vicks will cure toenail fungus. It's better than losing a kidney using the prescription drug Lamisil being advertised on TV every night during dinner hour showing the ugly little critter lifting a toenail before your eyes. Just keep rubbing Vicks on the affected toe until the new toenail grows in. May take months or years depending on how fast your toenails grow. But you will have your kidneys.
Hot tea bags placed on the eyes cure sinus and allergy problems in a matter of minutes. In our previous life before retirement, our next-door neighbor, John was sitting on his front step looking like a lost man with a stuffy nose undergoing a sinus attack. He had been on prescription drugs for a few days with no relief. Shirl told him to put hot tea bags on his eyes, and within an hour he was back looking his finest with clear sinuses and thought Shirl was a miracle worker. He was right Shirl is just that?
Vicks will cure that fungus under toenails. Just rub some on the affected nail and keep at it until a new nail grows out. May take a few months but you don’t have to take Lamisil that has a tendency to destroy your kidneys.
Think you have gone through a poison ivy or oak patch or have athlete’s foot? Then we get to use the Clorox. Wipe the skin with Clorox and soak the feet in a strong solution and violá all is well. It will sting open scratches but will definitely remove the itch and the area will be clean for the Phenol Sodique.
There were many more cures in those days, and I haven’t ever mentioned WD-40.
We used it by the gallon and the powder by the pound in our house while growing toward adulthood. I preferred the powder for knife cuts while I learned to use a pocketknife. I got quite good at fixing my fingers in those growing years. Gauze and adhesive tape were all there was before Band-Aids were invented. It was a lot more difficult than peeling of today’s Band-Aid. One had to cut the adhesive tape, cut and fold gauze, put on the powder and then put it all on a cut finger without bleeding to death or getting blood all over the bathroom. Phenol Sodique power was so good at healing a wound without pain that I use to put it on a cut, sit down and watch the cut heal before my eyes. Dad had an ax slip off a frozen log and hit himself in his right shin. The ax cut though his boot to the bone. I never saw so much blood. He drove himself home for the Phenol Sodique and did his own repairs. It was deep and long for my young eyes. Mother wanted him to get stitches but he said it would do just fine with a wet bandage of Phenol Sodique. The deep cuts took a little longer to heal.
I had an ingrown toenail removed in the sixties and the doctor could not get it to heal with exotic salves and drugs. He said he would have to open it up to get the infection if it didn’t heal by the next week. He gave me a prescription of a new salve to try. I went home to use Phenol Sodique and in two days it was well. I never told him about our four gold medal cure-all.
The FDA decided to wipe out the patent medicines from drug stores by requiring the manufacturers to provide documentation of test results to ship across state lines. Phenol was proven to cause cancer in rats if they swam more than ten laps in the stuff. I have been sorry I didn’t get a 55-gallon drum of it before the deadline. We now have to use BFI powder, which cures cuts without pain almost as fast. BFI doesn’t have four GOLD MEDLES from The Royal Court of England and the 1900 Worlds Fair.
Brother Bud and I never had whooping cough, which was a killer of small children until a vaccine was discovered. We were put through an old Pennsylvania Dutch preventative ritual. On a night of a full moon you stand a kid with his or her back against a maple tree, bore a hole in at the height of the kid, cut a lock of hair, stuff it in the hole, plug up the hole, and when the kid grows above the hole he or she will not get whooping cough. It works because not one in our Pennsylvania Dutch family got whooping cough did we?
To remove warts on my hand and my leg, Dad put the sap of milkweed on them and gave instructions not to wash for 24 hours. I got out of a bath and washing dishes that night. In two days the warts had gone to wart heaven.
Dad had the best cures. Mother’s cures consisted of castor oil, rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, and her two favorites were Milk-of-Magnesia and Vicks VaporRub. When brother Bud and I got flu or colds, we were rubbed raw on the back and chest with Vicks. An old sheet was placed over the raw skin and Vicks which stuck to the body like glue, then came the pajamas, then in under the covers with the nose under to inhale the fumes. After we were in bed the windows were opened to freeze us as we slept so we wouldn’t get TB. All night long we were stuck to the sheets and even the bed. One didn't take baths until one was well so we could be Vicksed for days with the flu. It’s a wonder we lived through childhood.
Our two oldest girls got the treatment while my mom was keeper of the flock during the funeral of Shirl’s Dad. We found them all stuck by Vicks to a ripped bed sheet under their pajamas. Their long hair matted and smeared sticky to their faces. They looked like they had been sick a long time and near death. We thanked mom for taking good care of them. Took them home to scrape off the Vicks and put them in a hot bath to soak and a shampoo. The girls were happy to get rid the Vicks. The next morning, after a nights sleep in a clean bed, they were well and feeling great. I am sure the girls, as we never used Vicks in our houses for flu and colds for kids. I'd rather be sick than go the Vicks rout. BUT Vicks will cure toenail fungus. It's better than losing a kidney using the prescription drug Lamisil being advertised on TV every night during dinner hour showing the ugly little critter lifting a toenail before your eyes. Just keep rubbing Vicks on the affected toe until the new toenail grows in. May take months or years depending on how fast your toenails grow. But you will have your kidneys.
Hot tea bags placed on the eyes cure sinus and allergy problems in a matter of minutes. In our previous life before retirement, our next-door neighbor, John was sitting on his front step looking like a lost man with a stuffy nose undergoing a sinus attack. He had been on prescription drugs for a few days with no relief. Shirl told him to put hot tea bags on his eyes, and within an hour he was back looking his finest with clear sinuses and thought Shirl was a miracle worker. He was right Shirl is just that?
Vicks will cure that fungus under toenails. Just rub some on the affected nail and keep at it until a new nail grows out. May take a few months but you don’t have to take Lamisil that has a tendency to destroy your kidneys.
Think you have gone through a poison ivy or oak patch or have athlete’s foot? Then we get to use the Clorox. Wipe the skin with Clorox and soak the feet in a strong solution and violá all is well. It will sting open scratches but will definitely remove the itch and the area will be clean for the Phenol Sodique.
There were many more cures in those days, and I haven’t ever mentioned WD-40.
posted by JackSML | 9:44 PM
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