Or better yet, stop by
2220 Leota St. North Platte, NE and Billie will personalize a copy
for you!
Home Remedies
by
Billie Lee Snyder Thornburg
Illnesses, accident and doctoring, Mama had a remedy for every misery
any of us might have.
None of them were too bad but the castor oil. THAT Bertie and I refused
to swallow. Mama and Dad had a system for trying to make us take it. Dad
would stand behind one of us holding our hands and arms flat
against our chest while Mama poked a spoonful of castor oil into our mouth.
The recipient would spit the stuff out.
This one I'll hand to Bertie. She was the one getting the dose of castor
oil. Dad had a good grip on her. Mama stuck a spoonful of the nasty stuff
into her mouth. Bertie immediately turned her head and rubbed her open
mouth the full length of Dad's shirtsleeve, from his elbow over his bare
hand. I recall Dad said we wouldn't do that again and it was the last
time that
the folks ever tried to give us
castor oil. They decided that we just might live and grow up without it.
Not too long after that the family was visiting relatives in Maxwell. Bertie
and I wanted to stay all night with our two cousins, Nellie and Eddy Sullivan.
Dad and Mama were spending the night at Uncle John's, a few miles out in
the country.
Bertie and I were having a fine time until it came bedtime. Aunt Pearl brought
out the castor oil bottle and a big tablespoon. Nellie and Eddy went right
up to her. Bertie and I backed off.
Aunt Pearl said, "Everyone has to take a dose of castor oil at my house."
We explained that the folks didn't give us the stuff any more, but she made
us take it and we had to swallow it. Bertie and I never stayed all night
with Nellie and Eddy again.
A remedy I liked was the one we had for chilblains. Bertie and I rode five
miles horseback to school, which was fine in nice weather. During the dead
of winter (sometimes it seemed to be the dead of winter most all winter),
we got chilblains. Even though we wore heavy stockings and heavy overshoes
over our shoes, our feet got cold enough to cause chilblains. Our heels
stung and itched something fierce.
Mama's way of doctoring this was to have us rub raw onions on our heels.
I have a picture in my head of Bertie and me sitting by the living room
heater with our shoes and stockings off, our long underwear legs rolled
up. Mama cut an onion in two, giving Bertie and me each a half. We sat there
and rubbed onion on first one heel and then the other.
My problem was that I loved the taste of onions. My mouth watered all the
time I was doing it. The first time we did it, I asked Mama if I could eat
my half of the onion when I finished. Mama said, "No."
I don't know if all this helped our chilblains but it gave us something
to do and delayed our going upstairs to bed.
Another remedy I remember plainly was the one for Summer Complaint. Summer
Complaint was a very bad diarrhea that only hit in the hot summer months
and only babies and small kids got it. Bertie was plagued with it.
A certain little weed grew in the pastures that cured Summer Complaint.
All Mama had to do was ride out in the pasture and search until she found
enough of the weed to boil to make a drink of tea. One drink was all it
took to cure Summer Complaint. I wish I knew the name of the little weed.
It grew flat on the ground and had wee little red leaves. It was hard to
find among the taller pasture grasses.
Now we come to Dad's remedies. He had two, kerosene and whiskey. When he
felt a sore throat coming on, he got the kerosene can, tipped his head way
back and poured a little kerosene into his throat. He then gargled and spit
it out, making an awful face. He wanted the rest of us to try it, but we
preferred the greased wool rag that Mama wrapped around our neck when our
throats got sore.
Hot toddies were also medicine, but Dad was the only one that doctored with
those. I don't remember what had to be wrong with Dad for him to need a
hot toddy.
The one time Dad doctored Mama is plain in my mind. The year was nineteen
nineteen. Mama was in bed and very sick. The closest doctor was thirty-five
miles and several hours away. Dad talked Mama into trying a hot toddy.
Mama drank one and it didn't make her well. Dad gave her another one, one
that he no doubt made a little stronger.
Dad went out to the living room. I was in the bedroom by Mama's bed. Suddenly
Mama yelled in a terrifying voice "BERT, I'M DYING."
Dad came hurrying into the bedroom. Mama convinced him she was really dying.
Dad rushed back to the living room and grabbed the receiver off the hook.
He gave Central a fast ring and called Dr. Saddler in Hershey.
By the time the doctor arrived in the late afternoon, the effect of the
hot toddies had worn off. Mama's bed had quit whirling but she was still
plenty sick. Little Bertie had gotten sick, too, and crawled into bed with
Mama.
Dr. Saddler took one look at them and said they had the flu and the rest
of us would get it. He left enough pills for the whole family and headed
back to Hershey. The pills were free, but doctors charged one dollar per
mile when making house calls out in the country. Dr. Sadler had spent all
day coming to our ranch, doctoring Mama and Bertie and getting back home.
Mama told Dad giving her those hot toddies cost him thirty-five dollars.
Mama never drank another hot toddy, but Dad cured himself many times with
his own home remedy
NPTraveler
Spotlight
North Platte Traveler Magazine is proud to present our Spotlight features
for the Spring/Summer 2003 issue.
Home
Remedies
is Billie Lee Snyder Thornburgs recently released second book "Bertie
and Me and Miles, too. "Home Remedies", provides a small
taste of the delights in store for you.
Emergency!
What would
you do..?
we all dread the unknown, what to do, who to call. Our second Spotlight
focuses on these issues. Emergency! will be a continuing series,
Filled with pictures,
facts and history of a time gone by, you will find this book fascinating,
informative, insightful and funny! Billie's charm and personality
shine through on every page. Ordering information is provided or visit
the Old 101
Press Publishing Company for more information. Full story
featuring the
expertise that local officials and personnel can provide. Whether
traveling alone or with others, an emergency can be even more frightening
when away from home and all that is familiar. However, help is available
in North Platte to ease some of that fear and anguish. Full story
NPTSummer 2003 Issue
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