Author(s): Julian Walker

Overstocks

Today we are used to reaching for a painkiller when we get a headache, we take anaesthetics and antibiotics for granted, and we would not dream of making our own medicines. But until a century ago that was far from the case, and people had to seek their own remedies or depend on far-from-reliable doctors and apothecaries for everything from an ingrown toenail to amputation. How to Cure the Plague presents a stark reminder of the days when remedies were based on guesswork or superstition, and people swallowed bizarre or revolting mixtures; yet it was not all 'toads and brandy' - many herb-based treatments formed the basis of modern medicines. This new book presents a fascinating illustrated compilation of some of the most curious and disturbing cures from history, from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. Examples: Eighteenth-century treatment for asthma: Live a fortnight on boiled carrots only. It seldom fails. An Anglo-Saxon treatment for warts: For warts take hound's urine and mouse's blood, mixed together, anoint the warts with it, they will soon go away.
How to stop hiccups in 1607: Take thy finger ends, and stop both thine ears very hard, and the hiccup will cease immediately. A Tudor remedy for bedwetting: A mouse rotted and given to children to eat remedieth pissing the bed. Eighteenth-century first aid: Take ripe puff-balls. Break them warily and save the powder. Strew this on the wound and bind it on. This will absolutely stop the bleeding of an amputated limb without any caute