1. Onion Poultices for Chest Colds
People once believed that placing a warm poultice of onions on the chest could draw out sickness. The idea was that onions had the power to pull toxins from the body, especially when they were warmed and pressed directly against the skin. Families would chop onions, heat them up, and then wrap them in cloth to create a smelly but supposedly healing compress. It sounds bizarre now, but many households swore by it as a natural alternative to medicine.
The smell alone was enough to clear a room, and some said it also helped unclog stuffed sinuses. Parents would tuck kids into bed with the onion poultice pressed against them, insisting it worked wonders overnight. Even if it didn’t do much for germs, the warmth may have provided comfort, like a heating pad. Still, it’s a far cry from cough syrup or vapor rub today.
2. Spider Web Bandages
Before store-bought gauze, some households turned to spider webs to dress wounds. The sticky silk was believed to stop bleeding and help a cut heal faster, almost like a natural adhesive bandage. People would gather webs from corners of barns or homes, carefully layering them over scratches and scrapes.
It sounds like something straight out of folklore, but spider silk does have mild antibacterial properties. The webs were also soft and formed a natural barrier over wounds. Children in particular probably weren’t thrilled to have cobwebs wrapped around them. Yet for families who didn’t have easy access to doctors or supplies, it was a practical fix, no matter how creepy it feels today.
3. Potato Slices for Fevers
Some households swore that raw potato slices could draw heat out of the body. A mother might slice up a potato and place pieces on her child’s forehead, believing it would lower a fever. Others tucked slices into socks, convinced the vegetable would “pull out” the illness while the person slept.
It’s hard to imagine lying in bed with potatoes strapped to your body, but it was once a trusted remedy. Parents clung to these small rituals when modern medicine wasn’t available. While potatoes don’t have magical fever-reducing powers, the coolness might have felt soothing. At the very least, it gave worried families the sense that they were actively fighting the sickness.
4. Vinegar Socks
If you had a fever, another old trick involved soaking socks in vinegar and wearing them overnight. The sharp smell filled the house, but people believed it would break the fever. Some even claimed vinegar socks could prevent colds altogether if worn early enough.
As strange as it sounds, there may have been some comfort in the ritual. Vinegar can have a cooling effect when it evaporates, which might explain why some felt relief. Still, wearing pungent socks all night doesn’t sound like anyone’s idea of comfort today. It’s a perfect example of how desperation led families to try anything once.
5. Ear Candling
The idea of sticking a hollow candle in your ear and lighting it is unsettling, but many swore by it. Ear candling was thought to draw out wax and impurities through the heat of the flame. Families would carefully prop the candle in the ear canal, usually with someone nearby holding a plate or towel to catch dripping wax.
The practice has been debunked as ineffective and dangerous, yet it lingered as a home remedy for years. People believed they could literally watch the wax being pulled out as the candle burned down. In reality, much of what they saw was just candle residue. Still, the ritual gave people a sense of cleansing, even if it did little more than leave them smelling smoky.
6. Salt in the Shoes
If you had an ache or sprain, some people put salt inside their shoes to “draw out the pain.” It was believed that the salt would absorb the soreness and speed up healing. Walking around with gritty salt in your shoes probably wasn’t comfortable, but many swore it worked.
This trick was also sometimes used for warding off colds. The salt was thought to balance the body and cleanse bad energy. It’s an odd mix of folklore and practicality, since salt does have drying properties. Still, it’s far from what we’d consider a soothing remedy today.
7. Cabbage Leaves for Inflammation
One of the stranger remedies involved wrapping sore joints or swollen breasts with cabbage leaves. People believed the vegetable leaves drew out swelling and relieved discomfort. Mothers especially turned to this after childbirth, when cabbage compresses were passed down like sacred knowledge.
Cabbage leaves straight from the icebox could provide a cooling sensation, which may explain their popularity. While it seems laughable today, the practice has actually been studied in modern times with mixed results. Either way, families once trusted the kitchen garden as much as any pharmacy. It’s a remedy that sounds closer to witchcraft than science.
8. Mustard Plasters
Mixing mustard powder with flour and water created a pungent paste, which was spread on cloth and pressed against the chest. This “mustard plaster” was meant to cure coughs and congestion. The heat and strong smell were thought to open airways and fight illness.
Of course, the mixture could also burn the skin if left on too long. Parents had to carefully monitor the poultice, balancing between too hot and just right. The ritual of mixing, spreading, and holding the mustard against the chest felt like a serious treatment. Today, it seems closer to cooking than healing.
9. Whiskey for Teething Babies
Believe it or not, some parents once rubbed whiskey on their baby’s gums to ease teething pain. The alcohol numbed the gums temporarily, which may have offered relief. Others even dipped pacifiers in the liquor, convinced it would calm fussy infants.
Looking back, it’s shocking that this was so widely accepted. Of course, doctors eventually warned against giving babies alcohol, but the tradition lived on in whispers. For many parents, it was simply passing down what their own parents had done. It’s one of those remedies that makes us grateful for modern alternatives.
10. Charcoal Water for Poisoning
Long before activated charcoal became trendy, households turned to burnt toast or crushed charcoal for stomach troubles. The idea was that it absorbed toxins in the body, making it a quick cure for food poisoning or indigestion. Parents would stir it into water and encourage the sick person to drink.
The gritty black liquid couldn’t have been pleasant, but people believed it saved lives. While there’s some scientific basis for charcoal binding to certain substances, home remedies were imprecise at best. Still, families clung to it as a safeguard against dangerous stomach ailments. It’s easy to see how it gained a reputation as a kind of protective magic.
11. Soap Under the Sheets for Cramps
If you had leg cramps, one odd solution was to put a bar of soap under the sheets at the foot of the bed. No one really knew why it worked, but many insisted the cramps vanished. Some households treated this as fact, never questioning the ritual.
Theories popped up about magnesium in the soap helping the body, but there was no real proof. Still, the trick was so simple and harmless that families kept doing it. The sight of a random soap bar tucked under the covers might look silly today. But back then, it felt like a tiny charm warding off nighttime pain.
12. Bread Poultices for Infections
Bread wasn’t just for eating, it was also pressed into poultices to heal infections. The warm, softened bread was spread on cloth and applied directly to wounds or boils. It was thought to “draw out the pus” and speed up recovery.
Families often turned to this remedy when they couldn’t afford a doctor. The warmth may have increased circulation, which might explain why it seemed to help. Still, the idea of strapping a soggy piece of bread to your skin feels more like superstition than science. It’s a forgotten cure that makes modern antibiotics sound miraculous.
13. Turpentine Sugar Cubes
A particularly odd one involved soaking sugar cubes in turpentine and swallowing them for coughs. The sweet coating supposedly masked the harshness, while the turpentine was believed to kill germs. Parents would carefully ration out the cubes as though they were medicine.
It’s shocking to think anyone ingested something so toxic, but remedies often blurred the line between help and harm. Families trusted tradition more than labels, believing what worked for generations must be safe. Today, the idea of eating turpentine sounds reckless. Yet at the time, it was taken as seriously as cough syrup.
14. Goose Fat for Congestion
Smearing goose fat on the chest was another common cure for colds. Families believed the greasy layer trapped heat and helped the body sweat out illness. Some even added mustard or herbs to the fat for an extra boost.
The smell was strong, and the mess lingered on clothes and sheets, but many swore it helped them breathe easier. Children especially hated the sticky feeling but were told it was necessary for healing. In many homes, goose fat was just as essential as medicine. It’s a reminder of how resourceful people were with what they had.
15. Black Pepper in the Nose for Nosebleeds
To stop a nosebleed, some households sprinkled black pepper right into the nostrils. The sharp sting was thought to constrict blood vessels and stop the flow. Others mixed pepper with water and dabbed it on with cloths.
This remedy sounds painful, and it probably was, but many swore it worked quickly. People weren’t shy about using kitchen spices in medical ways. Even if it did help, the discomfort must have been intense. It’s no wonder this particular trick has faded from memory.
16. Fish Oil for Wounds
In some households, fish oil wasn’t just for health tonics, it was smeared directly on wounds. The belief was that the oil sped up healing and prevented infection. The strong smell lingered, but families put up with it in hopes of quicker recovery.
Fish oil does contain beneficial fatty acids, but slathering it on open cuts seems questionable today. Still, people often worked with whatever they had available. For coastal families especially, it was a cheap and accessible option. It’s one of those remedies that seems more like folklore than actual treatment.