Romany Remedies
Romanies seldom called upon Doctors to cure their ailments, preferring to rely on ancient knowledge that had been passed down through the generations. Plants and herbs were readily available as they travelled, these were collected and dried, then stored for when they were needed. The common stinging nettle is a good example, readily available and used by Romanies in various treatments. Mould that grows on the top of jam was very effective to dress wounds and to heal sores. Spiders' webs also contain penicillin and they were laid over cuts and wounds to aid recovery. These remedies and many more are still well known today - but are not recommended where crops are now sprayed with chemicals
MY DAD's REMEDY FOR A SORE THOAT! FROM RITA LIGHT
Mix together:-
Salt
Sugar
Vinegar
Hot water
Stir well and gargle for as long as you can!
It works SO well but I used to pretend my throat didn't hurt!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Mum always used a BREAD POULTICE on boils to draw the poison out, and once when I had a small long wart grow just underneath my eye, my Dad took a piece of hair from one of the ponies mane, tied it tight round the base of the wart - and sure enough it eventually withered, turned black and dropped off!!
My Mum also used to make our cough medicine, I can't remember the exact ingredients, but I know she used to cut large strong onions into rings and layer them in a jam jar. In between each layer she put brown sugar, and Epicecuana (? spelling) and the jam jar was sealed. Over the next couple of weeks this was then regularly shaken until all the ingredients were mixed, and we were given LARGE spoonsful whenever we had a cough MARY HORNER
BLACKBERRIES
The leaves of the blackberry were smoked to relieve internal inflammations and to help reduce any fevers - but this was before the days of chemical spraying
HOW TO MAKE ROSE WATER
Put 15g (1/2 oz.) of dried red rose petals into a bowl. Scented petals are best, but as rose oil is added later, they are not essential. Pour 300ml (10fl.ozs or one and 1/4 cups) of boiling water over the petals and stir well. Leave to infuse for roughly 2 hours. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or muslin into a jug or bowl, pressing petals hard to extract every drop of rose water possible. Add 2 drops of rose essential oil. Pour the finished mixture into a bottle, seal and label. Use the rose water as a cologne to refresh, as a toner for dry skin, or add to washing water
JAMES CRABB in his book The Gipsies' Advocate, published in 1831 said:-
"These inhabitants of the field and forest, the lane and the moor, are not without a knowledge of the medicinal qualities of certain herbs. In all slight disorders they have recourse to these remedies and they are not subject to the numerous disorders and fevers common in large towns"
While according to FRANK CUTRISS in his book Romany Life published in 1915:-
"The Gypsy lives a healthy open-air life, with sun, wind and rain as his closest companions, taking no anxious thought for the morrow, with the result that he is seldom seriously unwell or unfit"
Romanies seldom called upon Doctors to cure their ailments, preferring to rely on ancient knowledge that had been passed down through the generations. Plants and herbs were readily available as they travelled, these were collected and dried, then stored for when they were needed. The common stinging nettle is a good example, readily available and used by Romanies in various treatments. Mould that grows on the top of jam was very effective to dress wounds and to heal sores. Spiders' webs also contain penicillin and they were laid over cuts and wounds to aid recovery. These remedies and many more are still well known today - but are not recommended where crops are now sprayed with chemicals
MY DAD's REMEDY FOR A SORE THOAT! FROM RITA LIGHT
Mix together:-
Salt
Sugar
Vinegar
Hot water
Stir well and gargle for as long as you can!
It works SO well but I used to pretend my throat didn't hurt!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Mum always used a BREAD POULTICE on boils to draw the poison out, and once when I had a small long wart grow just underneath my eye, my Dad took a piece of hair from one of the ponies mane, tied it tight round the base of the wart - and sure enough it eventually withered, turned black and dropped off!!
My Mum also used to make our cough medicine, I can't remember the exact ingredients, but I know she used to cut large strong onions into rings and layer them in a jam jar. In between each layer she put brown sugar, and Epicecuana (? spelling) and the jam jar was sealed. Over the next couple of weeks this was then regularly shaken until all the ingredients were mixed, and we were given LARGE spoonsful whenever we had a cough MARY HORNER
BLACKBERRIES
The leaves of the blackberry were smoked to relieve internal inflammations and to help reduce any fevers - but this was before the days of chemical spraying
HOW TO MAKE ROSE WATER
Put 15g (1/2 oz.) of dried red rose petals into a bowl. Scented petals are best, but as rose oil is added later, they are not essential. Pour 300ml (10fl.ozs or one and 1/4 cups) of boiling water over the petals and stir well. Leave to infuse for roughly 2 hours. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or muslin into a jug or bowl, pressing petals hard to extract every drop of rose water possible. Add 2 drops of rose essential oil. Pour the finished mixture into a bottle, seal and label. Use the rose water as a cologne to refresh, as a toner for dry skin, or add to washing water
JAMES CRABB in his book The Gipsies' Advocate, published in 1831 said:-
"These inhabitants of the field and forest, the lane and the moor, are not without a knowledge of the medicinal qualities of certain herbs. In all slight disorders they have recourse to these remedies and they are not subject to the numerous disorders and fevers common in large towns"
While according to FRANK CUTRISS in his book Romany Life published in 1915:-
"The Gypsy lives a healthy open-air life, with sun, wind and rain as his closest companions, taking no anxious thought for the morrow, with the result that he is seldom seriously unwell or unfit"