Modern Hill Woman

This winter it appears that half of Ripley County is sick.

All manner of flu, croup, strep, stomach virus, and respiratory ailments are running rampant. I myself have succumbed to two different types of illness so far.

When we were kids, mom and daddy didn’t run us to the doctor every time we sneezed or coughed.

If there was a chance we were dying, we’d make the (seemingly) long drive to Doniphan to see Doc Johnson, then later, Doc Leroux.

Mom did most of the day-to-day doctorin’ of 12 kids herself.

Wintertime brought earaches, since we played outside year-round, and got in firewood. Mom would pour a heated teaspoon of sweet oil in the affected ear to soothe the pain.

She’d enlist a visiting smoker to blow some smoke in the ear canal. The latter is now considered unsafe, but my sister who was plagued by earaches says that it worked.

When we came down with a stomach virus daddy would head to Skaggs’ Store or Phillips’ Store, depending on who he wanted to visit with that day.

It was a relief to see him come through the door carrying a bag of plain Fritos and a bottle of 7-Up.

Those, and a cold “washrag” on your head meant you’d feel better soon. Once you were able to keep something down, mom’s home canned tomatoes or tomato juice and a few fried potatoes completed the cure.

If we were feverish when we were little, mom gave us half an aspirin, which is also no longer advised, and slathered us in Vicks.

She swore by the stuff, even going as far as eating a dollop or two when she felt a cold coming on. It must have worked, because I don’t recall her being sick very often. I’ve seen her eat a lot of Vicks, so maybe she just liked the taste.

We were “encouraged” to eat a dab of Vicks when we had a sore throat. I personally never make a meal of Vicks, but I’ll smear it or some Unker’s on my throat and chest to fight congestion.

The older kids occasionally experienced a mustard poultice or plaster, applied to the chest for congestion.

A mustard plaster, also known as a “blister,” is a poultice of mustard seed powder spread inside a protective dressing and applied to the body to stimulate healing.

It was once a part of conventional medicine and was available in prepared versions at pharmacies. Mom just made her own.

Mustard plasters may have been called “blisters” because if left in place too long, they could cause first-degree burns to the skin.

If the congestion and cough was really extreme, possibly pneumonia, out came the coal oil, which was added to the poultice.

Healers have used various poultices throughout history to cure many ailments; to treat colds and flu, to soothe pain, manage infection, and reduce inflammation.

Goose grease, onions, cabbage, and potatoes, were all commonly used to heal. Or mixed together they made a great soup.