Ladies' Indispensable Assistant

[Mike Serpa]

Here's the title page.

Home remedies, medicinal plants, valuable recipes, etiquette for ladies and gentlemen.

Huh?

"Ladies' indispensable assistant: being a companion for the sister, mother, and wife," 1851
https://archive.org/stream/ladiesindispensa00ange#page/n5/mode/2up

 

[GELongstreet]

Directions for managing canary birds ... good to see that they have their priorities right.

 

[AndyHall]

Opioids are constipating, so their prescription for diarrhea makes sense.

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

I see the rearing of canaries comes before the methods in raising children...hmm...were canaries a testing ground for parenting in the era?

I'm a wee bit concerned about the medicinal remedies. It's no small wonder people died frequently from poisonings in the 19th century. I assume a female obstruction must be a 'delicate feminine' matter one didn't dare speak of in the day. The snakeroot suggestion is dangerous as its toxic, especially in large quantities. Also, I assume borax to be the same thing today as it was back then, a cleaning agent, that sounds safe

 

[Cavalry Charger]

I would hope not to have to wait until the "full moon" if my system was already backed up! Makes you wonder sometimes how we survived the previous centuries even without a war...

 

[GELongstreet]

I would hope not to have to wait until the "full moon" if my system was already backed up! Makes you wonder sometimes how we survived the previous centuries even without a war...

We didn´t ... we just already were too many and spread too wide over the globe to go extinct.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

We didn´t ... we just already were too many and spread too wide over the globe to go extinct.

We can never be too many for the purposes of the Almighty, and we are spread far and wide, but you are right...many didn't survive, and probably were not expected to live long lives always in the circumstances. How times have changed...and attitudes, too. Let's get back to the management of canary birds...

 

[Pat Young]

Anyone going to try the remdies out?

 

[Mike Serpa]

Anyone going to try the remdies out?

Hah! You can't get half the ingredients now.

 

[PeterT]

Anyone going to try the remdies out?

Nup

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Anyone going to try the remedies out?

I have to wait till the full moon if I want to try the one

Hah! You can't get half the ingredients now.

Thankfully! But I did look up a few of the ingredients I never heard of before. Salt of amber is modern day succinic acid which is safe to ingest as its used to stabilize medication compounds. Interestingly enough its used in effervescent tablets.

I assume the use of chalk in the anti-diarrhea medication would be similar to modern use of bismuth like in Kaopectate, as it has that same chalky quality to it. So I'm thinking it has similar qualities

Oh, and the Guaicacum is safe, so I could mix it with milk and have a swig at the full moon. It's an anti-inflammatory herb and from the sound of it, works much like willow bark would.

http://www.healthy.net/Materia_Medica/Guaiacum_Herbal_Materia_Medica/222

 

[Waterloo50]

I want to know how to manage Canary Birds, are there other types of Canaries that aren't birds?

 

[Mike Serpa]

I want to know how to manage Canary Birds, are there other types of Canaries that aren't birds?

Canary Islands. Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Waterloo50]

Canary Islands. Sorry, couldn't resist.

I walked right into that one.

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

I want to know how to manage Canary Birds, are there other types of Canaries that aren't birds?

Not to be confused with the management of the Canary Islands perhaps?

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Canary Islands. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Dang you beat me to it, my internet browser froze and then I posted mine, but yours wasn't there yet!

 

[Pvt.Shattuck]

How did people ever survive medical treatments of the day !?

 

[James B White]

I volunteer to try the diarrhoea one. Don't think I'll ever have diarrhoea, spelled with or without extra oe's and a's, due to all the opiates I'm taking. But at least I can report that opiates work.

Female obstructions... hmmm... well, I will say, I haven't had a period in quite a few years. I think I'm probably beyond help there, though. Actually, come to think of it, between me, and our two female dogs and one female cat being spayed, and my wife having had a hysterectomy long after menopause, I don't think any quantity of snakeroot during the full moon will loosen anything up for anyone in the household.

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Thanks @Mike Serpa I got a real kick last night reading other treatments for other maladies, many I've never even heard of before in my life. Interesting book for sure

Rattles? I assume they don't mean the toy...a rattle in the chest perhaps like a wheezy cough maybe?

Cure a sick headache - I'm not even sure what that even means - with half a glass of rum or gin...hmm...sounds like it may lead to a different headache

 

[Mike Serpa]

Yo

Thanks @Mike Serpa I got a real kick last night reading other treatments for other maladies, many I've never even heard of before in my life. Interesting book for sure

View attachment 122468

Rattles? I assume they don't mean the toy...a rattle in the chest perhaps like a wheezy cough maybe?

Cure a sick headache - I'm not even sure what that even means - with half a glass of rum or gin...hmm...sounds like it may lead to a different headache

You're welcome. I read a few of those and the symptoms manifest themselves in my body. Maybe it was my mind? Tic Doloreaux is only cured by Mesmerism or Fascination!