Various ways of alleviating the condition were popular in folk or herbal medicine. As one would expect, some of them involved poultices.
One of these had as its ingredient fresh ragwort leaves. Another poultice was made from a handful of coltsfoot boiled in milk with oats and butter. Cabbage was also used in poultices to reduce inflammation, and the leaves and flowers of borage were also used in the same way.
Cloves were added to alcohol to make a liniment to rub on painful joints, as was thyme. The bruised fresh leaves o peppermints were applied to painful joints also, and in China eucalyptus oil was in this way.
Various infusions and teas were also recommended as folk cures. One of these was made from a teacupful of honeysuckle flowers and a pint of boiling water. Mustard seeds in an infusion were another suggested cure.
Another herbal tea thought to alleviate arthritis was more complicated. It required agrimony, bogbean, burdock and yarrow in equal quantities with about one quarter of the amount of raspberry leaves. This was to be added to boiling water and reduced to half the original amount of liquid. It was then allowed to cool and was strained. Again, a wineglass of the liquid was to be taken every three hours.
Cinnamon watercress, vinegar, apple, carrots, leeks onions, turnip, parsley, dandelion leaves, nettle leaves, dock, marigold, lemon juice and cucumber taken internally were also recommended for the relief of arthritis.
Other herbs that were thought to alleviate the symptoms included buckthorn, chickweed, rosemary, sage, comfrey, mistletoe, meadowsweet, rue, wintergreen and wormwood.
An Epsom salts bath taken once or twice a week was once recommended for arthritis sufferers.
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