URBAN LEGENDS IN MEDICINE
OLD WIVES ’ TALES AND MEDICAL FOLKLORE FROM THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
AUTHOR Elizabeth A . Amin , MD
There is a reference to “ old wives ’
fables ” in the 1611 edition of the King James Bible . In 1 Timothy 4:7 , St . Paul exhorts his disciple to , “ Refuse profane and old wives ’ fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness .” In verse 1 of that same chapter , St . Paul refers to “ seducing spirits and doctrines of devils .” My mind turns to the three witches on the heath with their spells and incantations . In the original version of Macbeth they were old crones - but were they old wives ?
In medical folklore , there are many old wives ’ tales which make us cringe now , but some of these homemade remedies did contain nuggets of truth . They have been passed down through the generations , benefitting the old wives ’ children and their ( old ) husbands . Some ingredients have withstood the scientific method and can be found in current-day medical applications . I even remember being the recipient of one or two of these remedies myself , even when no one could tell me how they worked . The ingredients for home remedies had to be cheap and easily available , and for this reason ( I suppose ) there might be regional differences . In the north of England where I grew up , the following items recurred in different combinations , depending on the injury or illness to be treated : bread , tea , honey , Epsom salts , witch hazel and whiskey . This last ingredient was featured in the remedy that was my favorite , but I will save that for later .
A remedy for burns , including sunburn , was to soak a clean cloth in strong tea that had been cooled . The cloth was folded into a thick layer and applied to the area . The cloth was to be re-wetted as needed to prevent the skin from drying out . The treatment was to be repeated until the pain and redness started to improve . If a clean cloth was not available , a slice of bread could be substituted . Once the pain improved sufficiently , butter , lard or bacon fat could be applied to keep the skin soft . For burns incurred during cooking , one or more egg whites could be applied to the area and allowed to dry naturally . I never heard this discussed at home . Perhaps it wasn ’ t as effective a remedy as tea , or perhaps it just had a very specific and limited application . We know now that the tannins in black tea are astringent . The stronger the tea the more tannins are released , and the more efficacious the remedy .
Tea was also thought to be useful in drawing out the poison from insect bites and stings . In these cases however , the tea-soaked material had to be allowed to dry over the affected area , so either a thin piece of cloth or thin slice of bread was recommended .
For minor scrapes and bleeding , a piece of fresh bread , white if possible , should be applied with pressure . This makes sense when I think of homes or workplaces with no running water and working people with ( very ) dirty hands . For bumps and bruises : apply butter , butter , butter . ( No need for clean hands , but a clean spoon or knife would help .)
Witch hazel was another popular remedy for bruises and minor cuts . To be effective , though , this should be the homemade variety to retain its astringent property . The fine twigs and leaves of the witch hazel tree should be soaked or simmered in water .
12 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE