Home remedies 1998
Infested? I should say! Poison ivy has taken over and discomfort is the name of the game. I knew where the ivy was/is, but I didn’t know I was being covered in it. We’ve been weeding in a remote area of the shade garden and putting down extra mulch where the pesky stuff grows, but I thought I was being careful. I knew poison ivy was there, and I even saw it; however, I made sure I didn’t touch it as I snipped it off. I truly believe “some splattered on me” because I used the clippers to snip it off and did not pull. Anyway the very worst place (blisters – big ones) is on my forehead, in the outside edge of the eyebrow, right at the corner of the eye – on the cheekbone.
Minor encounters are also on the outside of the right thigh, on the left forearm and on the back of my fingers on the right hand. To say the least, I’m not lonesome, or at a loss for something to do – the scratching keeps me busy and well occupied.
Now the “medicine in a tube” I’ve been using clearly states the ointment is not to be used near the eyes. Okay, then I’ll just ride it out. I firmly believe if one goes to the doctor and uses his medicine, he’ll be better in a week; however, using home remedies the problem will clear up in seven days and I’ve chosen the latter.
One thing I’ve done is scrub with Octagon Soap – better? I don’t know. Then a friend told me jewelweed would cure it, and she sent me home with jewelweed. I split the stem open and applied the “juice” (what little there was of it). It was very soothing and cooling to the forehead/eye area, as I applied it. Today some of he fire and itch seems to be gone however, it’s a long way from being well.
Even my sleep has been affected, as the itching wakes me out of a sound sleep. As I’ve been dealing with all this, I remember when I was a child we didn’t run to the doctor every time we sneezed, but were doctored at home.
More than once when I was barefooted, I stuck a nail in my foot – immediately my folks washed it out with kerosene and bandaged it up with a clean cloth. Another time as a barefooted youngster, I stubbed (back then we called it “stumped) my big toe and Mother made a “stall” for the toe by using a clean piece of flour sack. The “stall” was tied on after being dowsed with kerosene.
One fall as we stripped syrup cane, (it was my job to get the lower blades and I crawled on my knees), I bruised my knee and had a “bone felon” (at least that is what it was called back then). It was like a bad boil or rising, and they applied a poultice made from a scraped Irish potato (this was supposed to draw it to a head, so it would drain). Eventually it did. Was it the potato? I don’t know!
The poultice (pronounced po’lis) was used for chest congestion, too. It smelled awful! It had Vick’s Salve, turpentine and Lord only knows what else, on it. This was pinned to the inside of my pajama top and left there overnight. I hated it!
Whatever my ailment was, in those growing-up days, my folks thought a strong purgative was the answer. So it was with country living.