Indigo Ingenuity

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When I was a young child in the 60’s, my parents used an old fashioned home remedy for the treatment of croup.

It was known as the ‘three in one’. I don’t know if people still use this remedy today but it involved using 1 part methylated spirits, 2 parts vinegar and 3 parts warm water placed in a bowl. A piece of flannelette material would then be soaked in this mixture (any fabric that soaks up liquid or even a big old woollen sock would also be used). The liquid was then slightly squeezed out of the fabric but left fairly damp. The fabric was then tied loosely around the patient’s neck so the vapors could be breathed in as they slept. The idea was that this process would assist in the breaking up of mucus. This was usually done at night and was quite a successful and popular home remedy during these times. Vinegar has continued to be one of those versatile home products that still seems to be popular and widely used. Apple cider vinegar can be used to cool sunburn by placing a cup in a lukewarm bath and soaking in it. It can also be used to relieve a sore throat by mixing together ¼ cup honey and ¼ cup vinegar and taking a tablespoon of this mixture every hour. A very old headache treatment was to soak the bottom of a paper bag in vinegar and place it on your head! Home remedies have been around for many years often passed down to the next generation and are very popular for treating ailments as many of the ingredients can be found around the home. We should still be careful not to overlook symptoms that require immediate medical attention and to be sensible when using home remedies.