Professional Documents
Culture Documents
88 Old Wives Tales From The 1800s
88 Old Wives Tales From The 1800s
homesteadsurvivalsite.com/old-wives-tales/
Heidi
1/10
2/10
Has anyone ever dismissed a home remedy you used with the comment, “Oh, that’s just an
old wives’ tale”? The phrase “old wives’ tale” is often used to describe an old cure or piece of
wisdom that has been passed down through the generations. The “tales” include treatments
for everything from toothaches to toddler misbehavior, and they vary widely in their accuracy.
Article continues below.
We have the King James version of the Bible to thank for the wording of the phrase. “But
refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness” is found in I
Timothy 4:7 in the King James Bible, which was first published in 1611.
During the pioneer years of our nation, old wives’ tales were abundant as women passed
down detailed theories on how to keep their families healthy. Some of these bits of 19th-
century wisdom are backed by science and are honored today. Others merely stand as
intriguing glimpses into the past.
Here is a list of some of our favorite old wives’ tales from the 1800s. We make no distinction
between fact and fiction, so try them at your own risk.
Want to save this post for later? Click Here to Pin It On Pinterest!
Gardening Advice
Plant your garden rows in a straight line because God prefers things to be that way.
Plant your rows in a North to South direction for best results. Also plant seeds in
groups of three following this adage – one for the good, one for the crow, and one to
grow.
Plant crops that grow below the ground (such as carrots and potatoes) during a waning
moon, and plant crops that grow above the ground (such as corn and tomatoes) during
a waxing moon.
Bury a scrap of iron along with your roses to help them be more fragrant.
Use a dab of honey to treat a bee sting and a drop of vinegar for a wasp sting.
Mold a poultice of soap, mustard, and bread to draw out the poison of a sting.
Other poultice ingredients include mud, tobacco, dandelion, mullein, honey, and baking
soda.
Apply a damp tea bag to a bite or sting to dry the skin and draw out the poison.
3/10
Place a slice of raw potato over the sting or bite for poison removal and pain relief. Or
try a slice of raw onion in the same manner.
Lice Removal
Apply a hair mask of mayonnaise to suffocate the lice. Then comb out the insects and
their eggs.
Wash your hair with vinegar to kill lice.
Break a dandelion stem in half and apply the milky liquid inside directly to the wart.
Rub leftover chicken bones on a wart before bed.
Wash your hands in the early morning dew.
Rub a dried bean on the wart. Bury the bean in the ground. In the time it takes for the
bean to rot, the wart will be gone. Other similar tales describe the same process with
using a piece of raw beef or bacon instead of the bean.
Rub a penny on the wart. If you spend that penny, the wart will return. A similar version
involves rubbing the wart with a white rock.
Splinter Removal
Place a piece of bacon over the injured area overnight. Remove the bacon and splinter
in the morning.
4/10
Pack a poultice of soap and sugar on the splinter and leave it there overnight. Remove
the splinter in the morning. Another version uses a poultice of Epsom salt and water.
Drink a mixture of one tablespoon of honey, one tablespoon of lemon, and one
tablespoon of whiskey.
Sip the juice of raw onion.
Swallow a tablespoon of honey to relieve a sore throat.
Put a clove of garlic in both of your socks. As you walk, the garlic juice from the
crushed clove will be absorbed into your skin.
Apply a poultice of dried mustard and warm water to the chest overnight or until it dries.
Brew tea made with three cups of water and half-cup of star anise. Simmer for 20
minutes with the lid on the kettle. Then inhale the steam before drinking the tea.
Repeat up to four times a day.
Drink raw apple cider vinegar (including the “mother”).
Put earwax on a cold sore to help it heal faster.
Acne Treatment
Collect the first-morning urine of a pregnant cow. Dab it on the pimples and leave it
there for 15 minutes before rinsing. Repeat until pimples are gone.
Another similar version involves rubbing a urine-soaked cloth baby diaper on the
pimples.
Put toothpaste on acne spots to help them clear up faster.
Soak a washcloth in vinegar and place it on the affected area for three to five minutes.
Apply the gel from an Aloe Vera plant on the burn.
Place the cut side of a white potato directly on the burn.
Apply egg white to a cooking burn.
Place a slice of tomato on the burned area.
Soak a cloth in strong tea and apply to a burn or sunburn.
Make a poultice of mullein leaves to soothe a burn.
Apply yellow mustard to a burn or make a poultice of dried mustard and vinegar and
leave it on overnight.
5/10
Sprains, Strains, and Bruises
Toothaches
Press a whole clove of garlic against the affected gum and tooth.
Peel and then chew the bark of a tickle tongue tree to numb the pain.
Foot Fungus
6/10
Soak feet for in a tub of hot water that has a cup of turpentine mixed into it.
Make a thick paste of green walnut husks and water. Paint the feet with the mixture
and let it dry before rinsing.
Place walnut leaves in your shoes.
Soak your feet in warm water mixed with apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Let your
feet air dry and then wear clean cotton socks.
Spray feet with bleach. Leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Urinate on your own feet. Then rinse them.
Diaper Rash
Apply cornstarch to the baby’s bottom.
Brown regular flour in a pan or the oven and when it has cooled, apply it to the baby’s
bottom.
Place rolled oats in a sock and place it in a bath of warm water before bathing baby.
Apply pure lard to baby’s bottom.
7/10
A Few Miscellaneous Tips
And here is one final note. Have you heard that eating chicken soup is good for what ails
you? This familiar old wives’ tale has been corroborated by science.
8/10
Hot soup has been used as a cold remedy since at least the 12th century. And, according to
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it really can help open congested sinuses and ease
the inflammation associated with the flu and the common cold.
Chicken soup is especially helpful because it contains water and salt, which work together
for hydration and for flushing out nasal passages. Scientists have found that eating chicken
soup can actually slow down the white blood cell activity that causes inflammation.
Conclusion
So there you have it, nearly 100 old wives’ tales. I’m sure there are many more.
Some of these treatments and sayings are true, but many of them aren’t. If any of these work
for you, leave a comment and tell us about it!
9/10
10/10