Health Information

What are BUNIONS | Pleasing Preventatives for BUNIONS | Plasters and Poultices for BUNIONS | Treatment for BUNIONS | Gentle remedy for BUNIONS

Commonly believed by many people to be neither more nor less than another type of corn, bunions are instead a condition more akin to bursitis. Although some relief may be obtained by painting them with the remedies given under Chilblains and Corns, more sensible precautions are to that footwear fits properly and pay a visit to a chiropodist.

If you do work which entails your standing for many hours wear good sensible shoes. Always ensure that children’s footwear is accurately fitted by specialists of this is where the problems start.

Pleasing Preventatives for BUNIONS

Soap and water: Wash the feet daily with soap and warm water, rubbing well between the toes. Dry well and dust with unscented baby powder. Not only will this prevent those really unpleasant soft corns between the toes but if you are already suffering from corns it will render them less painful.

Cloves: Five drops of clove oil in 5 tablespoons of sesame oil relieves aching feet and soothes sore areas.

Castor oil: Massage the feet daily with castor oil which acts as both prevention and cure. A mixture of castor oil and turpentine was used very frequently to harden the feet and hands and make them less susceptible to corns and callouses. If these already exist use a pumice stone after massaging to remove the hard skin.

Epsom salts and borax: Fill a bowl with warm water and add 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts and 1 tablespoon of borax. Soak the feet until the water is cold then dry thoroughly and massage with witch hazel. This will soothe and harden the skin.

Oil and vinegar: Soak the feet well in a basin of warm water in which you have dissolved 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda. Dry well and massage with a mixture of 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil and 2 teaspoons of cider vinegar.

Vinegar and water: This is an old-fashioned footbath which is very effective. So is either sea salt (4 tablespoons) or household soda (1 tablespoon) added to a large basin of warm water.

Massager: Massage the feet every day is one of the most certain ways of alleviating and preventing problems. It is also the most extraordinarily therapeutic form of self-help in which you can indulge. The following cream is soothing, emollient and deodorizing.

Lavender Foot Cream

6 tablespoons anhydrous lanolin

3 tablespoons almond oil

3 tablespoons glycerine

2 drops essential oil of lavender

Melt the lanolin in a bowl standing in a saucepan of hot water. Warm the oil and glycerine in the same way then beat them both into the lanolin together. Continue beating until the mixture has emulsified and is nearly cool. Add the lavender oil then pot and seal. If you persistently suffer from chilblains substitute essential oil of geranium for the lavender.

Plasters and Poultices for BUNIONS

Lemon: A poultice of lemon peel applied soft side down and left over night will dispel corns whilst less stubborn hard skin should be painted twice daily with lemon juice.

Raw tomato or fresh pineapple: Either of these will soften corns if bandaged against them.

Dandelion, celandine, sedum or marigold: The sap or juice from the crushed leaves of any of these plants if applied morning and night and left to dry will remove corns, callouses and soft warts. Ivy leaves soaked in vinegar was another well-recommended plant poultice.

Leeks: Soak leeks in water or vinegar for 24 hours and use as a poultice.

Onions: Apply either soft soap and roasted onion or a poultice of onions baked in the oven. Rape baked in the same way and used as warm poultice was believed to be able to reduce pain and swelling from corns, chilblains, bunions, whitlows, boils, ear-ache and toothache!

Lilies: Whilst the petals of the lovely Madonna lily, soaked in brandy and applied rough side down were frequently used to ‘draw’ whitlows and boils, the crushed bulb of the plant was used to dispel corns. The baked bulb was also utilized as a poultice for both whitlows and chilblains.

Garlic: Rub corns with garlic or garlic juice and cover with a thin slice of garlic. Leave it tied on over night.

Oil of turpentine: Soak the feet well in a basin of hot water and ½ cup of Epsom salts or bicarbonate of soda to soften them up ready for treatment with turpentine, which should be painted on nightly and bandaged.

Balm for Corns

50g(2oz) coconut oil or lard

30ml(1 fl oz) oil of camphor(camphorated oil)

15ml (½ fl oz) oil of turpentine

Melt the oil or fat in a bowl over boiling water then beat in the remaining ingredients. Continue beating until the mixture cools. Pot and seal. Rub corns with this balm day and night. This remedy is a sight safer than the unpleasant alternative that I came across which consists of boiling up nightshade berries with hog lard.

Tincture of iodine: Paint corns nightly with iodine to soften and disperse them.

Swede: Hollow out a swede and pack it with coarse salt. Leave to stand for 24 hours then use the resulting liquid to bathe corns night and morning.

Corn plasters: No matter how many modern marvels may be discovered countrymen will still swear by unwashed sheep’s wool.