These ailments are not really the same at all but are so closely connected that folk medicine makes small distinction. They are inflammation of the tonsils, the larynx and the pharynx respectively and are painful enough to make swallowing and breathing difficult.

Laryngitis may result in loss of voice. The only real cure is to stay in bed and take aspirin every four hours. If the conditions does not clear up within two days or if it recurs frequently seek professional advice. Most of the remedies given within the sections on chest infections and colds, sneezing and influenza will bring some relief.

TONSILLITIS

          
          
          
          
          
          
          
To Relieve and Cure TONSILLITIS, LARYNGITIS AND PHARYNGITIS

LARYNGITIS

Rose Petal Jelly

100g(4oz) white rose petals

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons clear honey

450g(1 lb) white cane sugar

A Recipe To Improve Hoarseness and Loss of voice

450g(1lb) strong onions

50g(2oz) honey

350g(12oz) brown sugar

1 litre(1¾ pints) water

Peel and chop the onions very finely. Combine the ingredients and cook gently for three hours. Pot into dry sterilized jars. Seal and keep refrigerated. Take 4 tablespoons a day.

PHARYNGITIS

A sore throat is usually attendant upon a cold and cough either as a result of tonsils being swollen or an infection and irritation in the throat which can also lead to ear-ache. It can, however, be the result of sleeping on your back with your mouth wide open or of smoking.

Most old-fashioned remedies rely heavily upon gargling, sucking throat pastilles (this increases the flow of saliva and makes the throat more comfortable) and keeping the neck and throat warm. Most of the remedies given for Chest Infections and Colds will improve this uncomfortable condition. You may prefer not to try the recommended cures of either wrapping a dirty sock around your neck, making sure that the heel is covering the larynx, or employing ht services of a ‘leech doctor’.

Gargles and Drinks for SORE THROAT

The correct way to gargle is to take a mouthful of the chosen solution, lilt the head back and, making sure that the liquid is right at the back of the throat, roll it in an ‘ahh-hh-hh’ sound. Tilting your head back and making a noise will close the throat and stop you swallowing. Gargle well for a good few seconds then spit out.

Safeguards and Sweeteners for SORE THROAT

Blackcurrant Pastilles

1kg(2 ¼lb) blackcurrants

1 glass water

Soft light brown sugar

Who amongst us has not at some time suffered from the sheer misery of ear-ache and felt aching sympathy when our own child has ear-ache? I have to admit that it is one of the very few childhood ailments which, if I cannot clear it myself within a few hours with the application of warm oil and aspirin and it has become progressively more painful, I have absolutely no compunction in calling for professional advice, even in the middle of the night.

Ear-ache can be caused by many things: Colds, Catarrh, ‘flu, enlarged adenoids, infection caused by swimming in polluted water (which may also be the cause of an abscess in the ear), teething and wisdom teeth. Apart from the nasty, nagging agony of ear-ache there may also indicate too much wax in the ears. If after using a gentle home remedy the ear-ache is not getting any better, if the bone underneath the ear is painful and the skin behind it is red and tender (but do make sure that this is not caused by ill-fitting spectacles), or if the patient has a stiff neck and is feeling drowsy it would be wise to seek immediate professional advice. Ear-ache does usually disappear quite quickly once it is treated but if it persists or keeps recurring over a period of time it is best to see your doctor.

Whilst there are some delightful remedies for ear-ache it is always wise to remember never to poke things into the ears, particularly garlic, onion or cotton wool buds on sticks. If an accident does occur and you realize that some foreign object has disappeared without trace into a small ear the Out patient Department of you local hospital is the best place to deal with it. Do not try to remove it yourself. The local hospital are also vey good at removing moths and spiders which creep into the ear at night and create enough mayhem within your head to convince you that the cavalry has taken up residence. You can actually try to drown and float these intruders out with warm oil but this is difficult to achieve if you live alone.

Most remedies of ear-ache are primarily based on warmth and oil but what lends such fascination to the subject is the quality and varieties of oils used throughout the world which have been tested and found satisfactory. Most importantly, the one thing that the majority of them have in common is the fact that none of the greases or oils used hardens on cooling. In England one would have caught a hedgehog, shaved off his prickles and roasted him slowly over a fire, catching the fat in a small pan as it dripped.

In Europe the dormouse was the innocent victim whilst in Egypt the fine layer of fat from the portly hippopotamus was greatly sought after. Caster oil, butter, goose grease and chicken fat were also used more in the manner of emergency measures, although roasting limpets to extract the liquid would have needed a certain amount of foresight.

Although many old-fashioned suggestions feature the use of roasted onion or garlic it is never wise to put solid substance in the ear but crushing either bulb and steeping it for several hours in warm oil before straining well through a fine gauze will give a healing unguent which has been used for centuries without ill effect. Many old encyclopaedias recommended warm honey or warm honey and garlic oil for a boil in the ear but I would think that this could lead to sticky complications. Garlic oil was also used by old-fashioned medics to relieve noises in the ears.

Ear-ache is often caused by water getting trapped in the ear during swimming and diving and, whilst I do not advocate ‘head banging’, a good shake of the head or holding the ear downwards and applying a firm but gentle massage underneath should release it.

To sooth and Warm for EAR-ACHE

Warmth is one of the greatest possible soothers and the methods of applying it have varied from heating a quantity of salt and rolling it in a cloth which is then placed in a sock upon which the aching ear is laid to hot poultices of onions, figs or hollyhocks (depending upon the region in which you lived) to draw out the pain. Camomile heads warmed by the fire, a fomentation of hot mustard leaf, hot pancakes and baked potatoes wrapped in wool have all been urged upon the unhappy sufferer, but the most sensible suggestions are those of a compress as hot as can be stood or a hot-water bottle well wrapped in a cover upon which to lay the painful war whilst trying to sleep.

Many people advocate another hot-water bottle at the feet no matter how warm the weather, presumably in an attempt to draw the pain as far from the ear as can be contrived! The most comforting warmth for any small child is mother’s bosom and the type of crooning cuddle which will hopefully distract attention from the sore ear. Ear-ache in young children is often associated with teething troubles.

Massage can bring a great deal of relief especially if the cause of the pain is not certain. Massaging the gums behind the back teeth with oil of clove and cinnamon (not the essential oils) will ease pain related to the back teeth coming through, particularly wisdom teeth. Dilute a few drops in almond oil for young children who may otherwise balk at the fieriness.

A gentle circular massage with the fingertips of the area of the face where it joins the ear will also ease ear-ache the considerably, especially if one of the soothing, healing oils mentioned under Chest Infections is used. I have also found the magical Tiger balm to e an excellent emergency treatment.

Catarrhal infections seem to be more rife today than ever before. In the past when one had a snorting cold one convalesced until it ran its course. Nowadays we rely on ‘miracle cures’ to dry up or stop these maladies instantly. We continue to work or send our children to school with blocked-up noses, headaches and coughs, armed with a bottle of magic, and wonder why after a week or so the infection returns, twice as potent and with the added pain of searing sinuses, ear-ache, tummy trouble, sickness, lethargy and down right tearful misery.

Catarrhal can be the result of infection but it may also be a result of external irritations triggering an overproduction of mucus: dust, smoke, or an allergic reaction to certain foodstuffs, particularly milk and dairy produce, refined carbohydrates, fried food, nuts, grains and pulses and in some cases eggs, red meat and even oranges. If you or your family suffer consistently from catarrh try leaving out certain foodstuffs for several weeks at a time to check of they are the cause. A sluggish liver and constipation do not improve maters and nor does overeating, particularly of junk food.

Stress may also be a factor. As well as the misery of painful sinuses which may make you feel very woozy and temporarily deplete your vision and cause ear-ache, loss of the senses of smell and taste, sore throat, coughs, sneezes and a runny nose, other unpleasant side effects which may result from persistent catarrh are bad breath and body odour, chronic constipation and spots.

Most of the remedies suggested for coughs will help alleviate the misery of catarrhal infection and the dietary suggestions given for Arthritis, Rheumatism and Constipation will bring about a long-term improvement in the general state of health.

Inhalants and warm, pain-relieving oils rubbed on to the chest, throat and the areas surrounding the eyes and nose will help unblock nasal and respiratory passages. These are also to be found under coughs and colds but check first that they are suitable for use on the face.

Plenty of liquids, fresh fruits, green vegetables and keeping warm but not hot in a well ventilated room will all help to clear the infection completely and prevent it from escalating into something worse.

Most of these old-fashioned remedies suggested that steps to prevent and cure catarrhal infection could be more effective if started in warm weather. It would certainly do no harm to embark on a course of preventative action during the spring and summer months.

Gentle Remedies for CATARRHAL INFECTIONS

Brutal Release for CATARRHAL INFECTIONS

Perhaps the least delicious of the ancient remedies is to take duckweed boiled in a pan and throw upon it as much blood and butter as it will take. Eat hot to relieve the body of foul poison,. Not pleasant but reputedly a cure for catarrh, constipation and cramps.

A Refreshing and Healthy salad

1 crisp eating apple

3 dandelion leaves

1 fresh or dried fig

1 basil leaf

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoon olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash the apple well and chop it up without peeling. Make sure that the dandelions are clean and have been picked from and area and have been picked from an area free from contamination. Shred them and add them to the apple. Chop the fig. Mix together then add the lemon juice followed by the olive oil. Season well and eat immediately.

An unpleasantly painful ailment, sinusitis is the result of the mucous membrane linings of the sinus cavities around the eyes and leading to the nose becoming inflamed. The cause for this occurring are referred to under coughs and catarrhal infections and the effects are very similar: a blocked-up feelings in the nose, slight temperature, tickly cough, headache and excruciating pain in and around those cavities particularly above the eyes. Many of the remedies, particularly the inhalants, oils and ‘tickly cough’ cures given under colds and chest Infections will work well.

Extra Answers for SINUSITIS

Raspberry Vinegar

1kg (2¼lb) raspberries

1 litre (1¾ pints) white malt vinegar

Clear honey

Spring Remedy

2 fresh young nettle tops

1 tablespoon blackberry leaves

1 spring fresh peppermint

1 head meadowsweet

600ml(1 pint) of boiling water

SINUSITIS

Infuse all the herbs in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Covered. Take in the springtime to clear this painful problem before summer arrives.

‘Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down.’ In this terrifying parody of the effects of the plague sneezing was shown to be one of the first symptoms. Modern theorists now believe that many of these deadly epidemics were devastating forms of influenza which, because people were less well equipped both physically and medically to cope with larly children and the elderly to an untimely death.

To our forefathers, however, even the common cold represented a dire threat for, unable to place their reliance upon a miracle cure from the National Health Service and without Sickness benefit to sustain them, a heavy cold meant at best an unpaid absence from work or at worst serious and prolonged illness which could become complicated and lead ultimately to death.

Without the benefits, doubtful or otherwise, of central heating, air conditioning and easily available covered transport our great-grandmothers took care to see that adequate precautions were taken with correct and sufficient clothing and fuel food to sustain the body under the most adverse conditions. Care was essential to prevent the worst from happening bur if it did a mustard bath, a hot drink and plenty of warm covering administered with a swift prayer to the Almighty to be merciful were the only immediate solutions.

Care took the form of year-round vigilance combined with the inherited wisdom of knowing and understanding what would ensure continued good health: Which fruits to put by for winter use, the barrels of apples stored for daily consumption, the berries and soft fruit full of valuable vitamins, the flowers and leaves with antiseptic and healing qualities which could be drunk, sucked or burned when illness stalked the country side. Prevention, although not easy, was infinitely better than having to cure.

Apart from ensuring ‘an apple a day’ and a daily intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, how else might we guard against the common cold? The suggestions from time immemorial varied vastly, ranging from fried swallow’s bones wrapped in vine leaves and carried around the neck (presumably if you were in a position to obtain anything quite so esoteric you were also in a position to follow the live swallow abroad and avoid winter cold) to honeysuckle syrup.

Garlic, a clove a day, has a justifiable reputation as being a remarkable cold preventative and cure. If you object to the taste and smell, perles and capsules are equally effective and less offensive. I suspect that apart from having extremely potent antiseptic qualities, the chewing of garlic is so antisocial that no one comes close enough to transmit their own germs, If you do not suffer from catarrh, drinking milk in which 2 garlic cloves have been boiled is to be recommended as effective and less pungent.

I am constantly amazed that garlic enjoys such a reputation as an aphrodisiac. Presumably the therapeutic qualities of the herb are so stimulating that the libido is provoked to the point where all else can be ignored. My own particular preference for garlic is in salad dressing and I find that when the body is exhausted and at its lowest ebb the finest and most restorative meal that one can enjoy is hot crusty garlic bread accompanying a large bowl of home-made onion soup.

In what other ways might the conscientious wife and mother protect her family against taking a chill? There are within the pages of a good housewife’s manual methods of prevention which would have interested the Spanish Inquisition, ranging from sewing the family into flannel at the end of September and releasing them in May, after which ‘the casting of the clout’ must have required nerves of steel and a strong stomach, to an evil-sounding mustard poultice applied hot upon the chest which would have been so fraught with hazard as to make it impractical.

A last word from the medical profession upon prescribing for the common cold: ‘If I prescribe for a patient a cold will be cleared up within seven days and if I do not it will hang around for about a week.’

Hot Possets for Colds, Sneezing and Influenza

These hot and comforting drinks will warm a cold body and stimulate the circulation this warding off the dangers of ‘taking a chill.’

Grandad Fred’s Hot Toddy Mixture

1 piece root ginger

2 teaspoons caraway seed

1 bottle whisky

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

350g(12oz) light muscovado sugar

225g(8oz) raisins (large, fat, sticky variety)

Bruise the ginger and caraway seeds and put them into a wide-necked jar with all the other ingredients. Seal tightly and leave for three weeks, shaking daily, then strain and re-bottle. Drunk by itself or with hot water this toddy is said to cure everything from an incipient cold to sea sickness but it is to be recommended only as a deterrent because too much alcohol take when the body is fighting a fever burns up valuable vitamin C.

Cold Comfort

One of the first signs of illness is an excessive thirst which becomes worse as the body burns up energy combating infection, and which has the patient demanding coffee, tea and fizzy drinks, none of which are particularly good for them. A century ago none of these would have been easily or economically available and bran or barley waters and herb tea were used, not only to reduce thirst but to prevent dehydration and alleviate the problem with their own healing properties.

Lemon Barley Water

1 large lemon

2 tablespoons pearl barley

1 litre(1¾ pints) boiling water

Pare the rind thinly from the well-washed lemon and place it with the barley water, cover and leave to stand overnight. The next day strain off the pale straw-coloured liquid and drink by the glass with or without honey. Save the juice from the lemons to make another drink but do not add it to the barley water. This is an inexpensive drink which soothes and nourishes and should be make fresh daily.

Lemonade

2 lemons

1 litre(1¾ pints) water

50g(2oz) sugar

Wash the lemon well and remove the rind using a potato peeler, taking care not to include any of the white pith. Put the rind into a pan with half the water and the sugar and bring gently to the boil, stirring well to make sure the sugar has dissolved. Cover and simmer for a few minutes. Pour into a jug and leave to get cold. Strain then add the juice from the lemons and the remaining water. Serve as it is.

Ginger Lemon Cordial

6 lemons

4 oranges

150g(4oz) seedless raisins

3 cups clear honey

75g(3oz) ginger root, crushed

4.5 litres(8 pints) water

Wash the lemons and oranges well then grate the rind from them and squeeze the juice, which should be kept in the refrigerator until needed. Put the rinds and remaining ingredients into a large pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for one hour. Skim and leave in jugs over-night to cool. Add the fruit juices the next day. Drink undiluted.

Refreshing Herbal Teas

All herbal teas are soothing and are taken to promote healing and those teas which make the traditional reviving breakfast cuppa are also herbs whether they come from India, China or Ceylon. Taken with honey and lemon they will refresh and stimulate. The following herb teas are those which are more suitable to remedy colds, flu and catarrhal infections.

Soothing Wines, Syrups and Mixtures

Most old-fashioned and herbal syrupy concoctions which are given to relieve the misery of colds and coughs have several benefits. Many of them contain ingredients which encourage the body to resist infection, others promote perspiration – the belief being that this helps to rid the system of fever more rapidly – whilst others again soothe are preferable to drugs which ‘dry up’ a cold and which frequently leave the patient with inflamed and sensitive mucous membranes, cracked lips and a parched feeling both externally and internally.

Hot blackcurrant syrup and rose hip syrup are already well established in this country as methods of preventing colds from occurring in children whilst is south America the fruit of the acerola cherry (Malfigia funicifolia) is stewed with honey to provide a health-giving syrup. The fruit is, in fact, so high in vitamin C that is exported in quantity to North America to make health drinks for children.

The French also use a sharp, red cherry to make a syrup which is given to relieve the symptoms of a cold, whilst Middle Eastern People stew figs gently in a syrup of lemon and honey to achieve the same delicious result. We already know that hot lemon and honey relieves all the most unpleasant effects of a cold but a spoonful of molasses taken in hot water is also extremely beneficial, although I feel that one might draw the line at mullein pounded in molasses which, although it does you good, taste revolting. Another very useful preventative if taken regularly, but equally difficult to get down, is ¼ teaspoon of wheatgerm oil in honey. Perhaps it might be more palatable stirred into the morning cereal or yoghurt.

The British, however, were brought upon cod liver oil and malt and we must be grateful that we did not live a century or so ago when brimstone and treacle or a mixture of sugar, butter and vinegar might have been forced down our unwilling throats. In even more typically stoical British fashion both rowan berries and elderberries were made into a strong, astringent syrup to cure the common cold. These fruits were considered so beneficial that travelers aboard would often take a pocketful of the dried berried with them to guard against infection and history has it that this was how the blueberry found its way to North America.

Coltsfoot Syrup

50g(2oz) flesh coltsfoot leaves

1 litre(1¾ pints) water

8 tablespoons clear honey

Make sure that your freshly picked leaves are clean and free from any creepy crawlies. Wash well, drain and place in a large stainless steel or enamel pan with the water. Bring to the boil, skim, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes then strain into a clean pan. Add the honey and heat gently, stirring continuously until it has melted, then boil steadily for 10 minutes without covering. Skin once again and strain through a fine nylon mesh. Leave until quite cold before pouting into small bottles. Seal and keep refrigerated. Take 1 tablespoon every four hours for a cough and cold. It has a lovely fresh flavour and children like it very much. Provided you have made it correctly and kept it in the refrigerator it should last well too.

Elderberry Syrup

A good quantity of fresh elderberries

Sugar or honey

Whole cloves

Put the elderberries in a large fireproof dish and leave to stand overnight in a warm oven. Pour off the juice and put the fruit back in the oven. Repeat this until there is no more juice left, then give the fruit a quick squeeze in a muslin cloth to remove any last drops. Measure the juice and for each 1 litre (1¾ pints) take 450g(1lb) of sugar or honey and 12 cloves. Put all the ingredients in a large stainless steel or enamel pan and heat gently, stirring well until the sugar is dissolved, then simmer for 30 minutes. Skim, strain and bottle. Seal well and keep refrigerated. Drink as it is or diluted with hot water at bed time or when a cold awakes one from sleep. Do not use rowan berries in the same way as they are too astringent.

Trying Anything Once

The common cold has defeated science for centuries and, despite the money, intelligence and vast pharmaceutical resources poured into researching a cure, will probably continue to defeat us for years to come. Many of the strange and seemingly illogical folk methods of curing, or at least of alleviating, the misery of colds have their basis in strong commonsense and a more than passing knowledge of anatomy. Many of them work surprisingly well and are frequently given as airing by research groups and clinics.

Some of us have found that splashing the face with cold water will relieve the misery of running eyes and nose and sneezes. Hayfever sufferers will have tried sea water, ice bags, sniffing copious snorts of water up each nostril and complete immersion daily. Since civilized man endowed the Eskimos with the common cold they have discovered their own method of curing it by sniffing snow up their noses and there is a very good reason for this in turn creates an expulsion of accumulated mucus. The mucous membranes are no longer irritated and inflamed and the ‘cold’ disappears.

Without the help of ice and snow you can make your own remedy by taking 2 cups of ice-cold water (place the water in the freezing compartment of your refrigerator for a few minutes) and stirring into it 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tablespoon of Epson salts. Stir well and then dip a folded cloth into the solution. Wring out the excess water and place the cloth over the nose and sinuses for as long as it takes for some relief to become apparent. Keep the solution cold and the cloth refreshed.

Other methods of trying to stop the nose streaming and to stop sneezing are to sniff sea water, warm water and lemon juice or sage vinegar. Rubbing a sage leaf around the nose was considered useful, probably because the natural oils in sage are antiseptic and healing, and it is certainly less painful than lemon juice or vinegar both of which work on the principle, I believe, of shriveling the mucous membrane with shock. John Wesley was no less gentle in his approach to sneezing and advocated the coiled rind of a thinly pared orange up each nostril.

Orris root was also used as a snuff and, although rather more pleasant than the alternative suggestion of cayenne, would have done nothing more than produce the most vigorous attack of sneezing, thus ridding the nasal passages of obstruction but hardly soothing and cooling. Most of the best methods suggested for easing sneezing either cool or lubricate these sensitive areas and do not rely upon ‘drying up’ a cold.

A very simple nasal spray which will ease the misery of early-morning sneezing is made by adding 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt and 2 tablespoons of glycerine to 2 cups of water (soft, bottled). Pour this into a sterilized jar and shake well. Use in an atomizer. I have been told that ladies would carry a small atomizer of eau de Cologne or lavender water in their handbags to use in an emergency.

Cold cures can also work beyond the easily acceptable fact of icy inhalation reaching into the realms of related pain. A friend of mine sits with his toes in a basin of freezing cold water. He had read the Chinese believe that all areas of the body are directly associated and that freezing one’s big toes causes the swollen membranes in nose, sinuses and throat to contract, which harmful after-effects (although he does run the risk of frostbite). I have tried this suggestion and I have to say-that it does appear to work but I would not have bowed to John Wesley’s theory which insisted that not only toes but the whole body be subjected to an icy cold bath.

More conventional friends recommend 1 tablespoon each of mustard powder and household soda to a bucket of very warm water in which one immerses the feet whilst sitting with blankets wrapped around shoulders and waist. A hot-water bottle on the feet is another old-fashioned suggestion in direct contradiction to frozen toe theory.

Food and sleep figure strongly and in a contradictory manner: do you feed a fever and starve a cold, or is it vice versa? Should we wrap up warmly and take a long, brisk walk? Or should we take the sensible advice of a writer on the subject of influenza who stated unequivocally, ‘I cannot stress strongly enough the necessity for the patient to stay in bed for a long period of convalescence after this dangerous illness. To arise too soon and to attempt to carry out one’s normal duties can, I fear, lead only to paralysis and insanity.’ Strong words but bearing in mind the at present fashionable belief that M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis) may be the result of ‘flu perhaps we should not scoff.

Delving into realms of fantasy also provides some entertaining theories. Certain tribes of North American Indians chewed the leaf of the creosote bush to ward off colds whilst sailors of a century of so ago chewed tarred rope, both of which probably contained some of the constituents of modern-day medicines. Country folk slept with a piece of garlic or liquorice root between teeth and cheek or carried a piece of black sheep’s wool well larded with butter or olive oil and egg around their necks.

All of these remedies to keep infection away worked, I am sure, on the principle that you did not smell sufficiently pleasant to get close enough to infect although none could possibly be quite so effective as the Russian solution of tying a hank of dried herring around the throat. Centuries ago, when the threat of plague was close, anyone venturing out into the streets carried posies of strongly aromatic and antiseptic herbs to ward off infection. Within living memory small children sent to school with a small purse of asafetida or camphor tied beneath their collars, whilst in Mediterranean countries garlic was the chosen herb. All of these smelt equally pungent but were probably no worse than our latter-day preference for eucalyptus, winter-green and menthol.

Inhalants, Rubs and Gargles

The majority of the recipes and remedies to be found under Chest Infections, coughs and Asthma work equally well on patient suffering from a cold or flu.

Starve a Cold

It is undoubtedly better for a patient who is suffering from a bad cold or influenza to eat as little as possible and in fact they will probably reject most foods unreservedly. Staunchly old-fashioned remedies such as milk, butter, honey and garlic or onion, barley water and cod liver oil, which were designed to both prevent and cure colds, will do nothing to improve that situation.

Onions are comforting and warming with many therapeutic qualities and so are garlic and many herbs, all of which can be incorporated into a nourshing broth. Beef tea and chicken soup were great favourites as was blancmange, particularly a savoury variety made with carraghen. Fruit sorbet made with orange or lemon juice or one of the soft fruits high in vitamin C slides down a sore throat without trouble whilst porridge is warm, sustaining, easily digested and a great improvement upon gruel. The best food, though, for sad and sorry people is yoghurt with wheatgerm and honey.

Fruit juices have already been mentioned and both grape juice and the juice of carrots are thought to improve the chances of a good recovery. Some sources have also been know to advocated the juice of turnip top which are very good for you but perhaps better server up as a vegetable with a lemon and oil dressing. However there are plenty of very pleasant and appetizing foods to choose from which will both tempt the patient to eat and also improve their general state of health. More importantly they when the body is cold and weary and at its most vulnerable.

Onion Soup

4 large onions

1 large clove garlic

5 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon each dried thyme, sage and savory

Small piece of bay leaf

1litre (1¾ pints) good strong chicken or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the onions and cut them into very thin slices and finely chop the garlic. Put the oil into a large saucepan and cook the onions and garlic in this until they are golden brown and transparent. Do not allow them to burn. Stir in the herbs and add the warmed stock a little at a time followed by the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer very gently for one hour. Children will prefer the soup strained and it should be served hot with garlic and tomato bread. I prefer to give invalids this onion soup rather than the thicker one made with milk which may exacerbate catarrhal infections. Truly strong men will take their soup liberally laced with cayenne pepper for maximum benefit.

Ghenghis Khan’s Mustard

1 cup freshly grated horseradish

1 clove garlic.

1 tablespoon sea salt

600ml(1 pint) boiling water

Mustard powder and cayenne to taste

Mix the horseradish, garlic and salt together and cover with the boiling water. The next day strain then mix in the mustard powder and cayenne and beat until you have a thick paste. Pot in small jars and seal tightly when cold. Keep refrigerated. Whilst grating your fresh horseradish take care not to let the fumes get into your eyes not to touch the sensitive areas of the face with your fingers otherwise you may end up with your eyes and nose streaming more violently than that of your patient. This mustard can be used as an accompaniment to cold meat but spread on a slice of good bread and used to drunk in a soup it clears the head remarkably well, although it is not to be recommended for children.

Blackcurrant Pastilles

1kg(2 ¼lb) blackcurrants

1 glass water

Soft light brown sugar

Wash the currants and place them in a stainless steel pan (do no t use aluminiu, not only because of the recent discovery of a connection with Alzheimer’s disease but because cooking in aluminium destroys valuable vitamin C) with the water, cover and simmer until quite soft. Pass through a fine sieve. Weigh the resulting puree and take its equivalent weight in sugar. Return the puree and sugar to a clean pan and cook gently, stirring continuously, until the mixture is thick enough to leave the sides of the pan with no excess moisture. Dust several shallow tins lightly with caster sugar and spread the paste reasonably thickly. Leave in a warm, dry place to harden enough to cut into small lozenges. This may take several days so do mot panic and think that you have failed. Dust them with caster sugar and place in a cool oven to dry out completely. Store in airtight tins.