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Archiver > NOTTSGEN > 2003-03 > 1047111606


From: "Brian Binns" <>
Subject: [Notts]
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 08:20:06 -0000


I have re-discovered two books I found in a second hand bookshop years ago. They are hardback compilations of "THE MAGAZINE FOR DOMESTIC ECONOMY" a monthly publication intended, it would seem, for the middle class household. Every article is so interesting as an historical insight covering all aspects of looking after the house and home from cooking to gardening, through to the way to attend to servants. Most of the articles are far too large to reproduce on this list but I will extract snippets now and then. all are from the period 1836-1837 and are reproduced as written.

Brian Binns, Loughborough





LIST OF DRUGS AND MEDICINES, useful to be kept in a labourers cottage, with their prices and proper quantities to be ordered from the druggist:-

s. d.

Epsom Salts, two pounds 1 0

Best Rhubarb, powdered, one ounce 1 0

Paregoric Elixir, two ounces 0 6

* Laudanum, one dram 0 1

Ginger, powdered, half an ounce 0 2

Tartarised Antimonial Wine, two ounces 0 6

Ipecacuanha Wine, one ounce 0 6

Carbonate of Soda, two ounces 0 4

Peppermint Water, best, one quart 1 0

Cold-drawn Castor Oil, two ounces 0 8

Diachylon Plaster, a quarter of a yard 0 5

Camphorated Oil, two ounces 0 3



For fear of accidents, as children getting to it &c., a labourer should never have more than one dram of laudanum in his house at a time, which should be locked up



OPENING PILLS.- Barbadoes Aloes, 1 dram; Scammony Powder, 24 grains; Spanish Soap, 12 grains; Oil of Carroways, 4 minims. Mix and make twenty-four pills. Two or three to be taken at bedtime.



COUGH PILLS.- Ipecacuanha powder, 12 grains; Powdered Opium, 3 grains. Mix and make eighteen pills. One to be taken at night, another in the morning before breakfast, and two more in the course of the day, They should be continued for two or three days. These are very useful when there is no fever.



CALOMEL PILLS.- A labourer may order from a druggist a little box containing twelve pills, each pill consisting of two grains. Two or three of these pills taken when a person is in a violent fever are extremely useful; but the pill-box must be carefully locked up.


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