Madame Young's Guide to Health / Her experience and practice for nearly forty years; a true family herbal, wherein is displayed the true properties and medical virtues of all the roots, herbs, &c., indigenous to the United States, and their combination in all the diseases the human body is heir to; also, an explanation of the human body, its liability to injuries through ignorance of its structure. Dedicated exclusively to her sex.

by Amelia Young

Bloodroot.—This is good for the rattles; mix with honey and give a child five years old a teaspoonful.

Bone Ointment.—Equal parts small kind mullen, red clover tops, burdock burs, plantain, sweet alder bark, yarrow, black alder buds and tobacco; simmer down in hog’s lard and fresh butter. This ointment is likewise good for all kinds of sores.

Sticking Salve.—Equal parts catnip tops, horsemint, sarsaparilla, striped (some call it soft) maple, spikenard, mouse wood, (this wood or tree grows bushy, and the wood is tender but the bark is tough; use the wood and bark,) comfrey, young mullen leaves, Solomon’s seal, yellow dock, princes pine, wormwood; boil down thick, then add one pound and four ounces mutton tallow; roll, and it is fit for use; all cuts and sores, with or without swellings, inflammations and wounds, this will cure, and no proud flesh will be created.

Balsam of Honey.—Take as much balsam of tolu as will dissolve in alcohol.

Oil Soap.—Take as much Castile soap as will dissolve in alcohol.

Salve for Scrofulous Sores.—Take turpentine, and half a pound bayberry, and tallow; dissolve and add sweet oil if necessary.

The best Salve I ever found, in all cases of humors, is composed of raw linseed oil, beeswax, and mutton tallow, for sore lips, and chapped hands; if the sore is very bad, sprinkle pulverized bloodroot on it every morning, then apply salve; a sore need not be washed but once a day, but dress it three times a day, if bad.

Ointment Pills.—Sweet fern, sweet apple-tree, rose leaves, cats foot, and cream; simmer on a slow fire. The best I ever found was composed of hog’s dung and lamp oil, simmered; a little beeswax will be good to keep it firm.

Hot Drops.—To one quart alcohol add one ounce hemlock oil, one ounce gum myrrh, two tablespoonsful cayenne; shake well twice a day for at least a week. This is good for rheumatism, pains in head and stomach. Take from ten drops to a teaspoonful, in sugar and water.

Tar Syrup.—One gill tar, one pint wheat bran, half pound loaf sugar, and two quarts water. Dose, wine glass full three times per day, for cough and consumptive complaints.