tales-of-Fogo-Island

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There were also special remedies for boils or infections at the surface of theskin. Mrs. Audrey Nippard recalls how her grandmother used a specialpoultice for curing boils.Grandmother had a recipe for curing boils. She would use about 1/8 of abar of sunlight soap, mixed with two tablespoons of molasses and twotablespoons of flour. She would put this mixture on a piece of gauze andapply it to the boil. Sometimes a couple of poultices were needed.Another popular remedy for boils was the 'hot bottle'. A bottle would be filledwith boiling water and then emptied. Then the mouth of the bottle would beplaced over the boil. As the bottle cooled the core of the boil was drawn out.Mrs. Mora Osmond recalls that a whole nutmeg would be worn around theneck as a cure for boils. Mr. Arthur Ludlow remembers how the old peoplewould steep out the blackberry trees to make blackberry tea. Most peoplebelieved that boils were caused by 'dirty blood'.Headaches were also treated many different ways. Sometimes a headachesufferer would wear a white bandana around their head. Sometimes theywould also have a sniff of 'Minard's Liniment'. Some people grew 'vinegarplants'. The leaves of this plant would be collected and placed on a person'shead. Wrapping the head in vinegar and brown paper was also a favoriteremedy.Several remedies were used to treat a sore throat. A spoonful of Friar'sBalsam mixed with a half teaspoon of sugar was considered the ideal answer.This was a gritty syrup that 'hit the spot'. Some people believed that relief froma sore throat could be found by wearing a sock around the neck. However,there was a catch to this cure - the sock had to be from the left foot and it hadto be worn recently.Coughs due to colds were often treated with goose grease. The people wouldcollect the fat from a cooked goose. This would be drained and kept forrubbing onto the chest. If young children and babies had a cough, they wouldbe rubbed with this grease or camphorated oil. Then, a red flannel cloth wouldbe placed on their chest.A mixture of boiled kerosene, molasses and sugar was also a popular homeremedy for coughs. The patient would take several teaspoons of this mixture,two or three times each day. Some people mixed kerosene and cod or oliveoil.
There were also a variety of cures for the common cold. Some people drankthe juice of steeped juniper leaves. However, there were almost as many'cures' as there were 'colds' and everyone had their favorites. As one ladysaid, "a couple of tablespoons of Minard's Liniment mixed with three of fourteaspoons of cold water was as good as anything!" This remedy was alsobelieved to be a good treatment for indigestion.Tonics from the forest or 'woods' were also popular. One lady rememberedhow a 'poor appetite' could be cured using the bark of the wild cherry ordogwood tree. After boiling the bark for several hours, the patients would drinkthe juice. Soon their appetite would return to normal.Deep cuts on the flesh would be treated using a murr plaster. Bladders ofmurre would be taken from balsam fir trees and spread onto the cut. Mr. RoyAnthony called the murr plaster a 'firm cure' because it rarely failed.When a person suffered from a burn, a mixture of petroleum jelly and bakingsoda was a common treatment. When this cure was not suitable, people cameup with other treatments. One man recalled an unusual treatment for a severeburn:Once, I tipped over a pot of boiling water. My arm was burned and therewas no doctor to tend to me. Father and one of my uncles went to thewoods and peeled the bark from a few birch trees. Then they went to thestage and dipped the bark in cod liver oil, right out of the barrel on thewharf. They came back to the house and wrapped my arm with this 'codoil bark'. It must have been all right, 'cause it never scarred or nothing.Some other common cures or remedies include the following:The first snow in May: Believed to make freckles fade. Some people usedthis snow as a cure for sore eyes.Manatee or 'Minion' berries: Used as a cure for sore lips. These are smallwhite berries that grow in shaded areas. A few of these berries rubbed acrossthe lips would provide fast relief.Black mud: Used to treat bee stings.Oatmeal: Used to treat insect bites or chicken pox.Hot plate: Placed on the chest as a cure for heart burn.
Page 1: Tales ofFogo IslandCompiled and edi
Page 5 and 6: ContributorsThe following people an
Page 8 and 9: A Brush with DeathYears ago, medica
Page 10 and 11: A Remarkable NurseOne well-known re
Page 12 and 13: Dealing with emergencies in those d
Page 14 and 15: Looking back on her life, Nurse Col
Page 16 and 17: The Disappearance of Bill HurleyOn
Page 18 and 19: In later years, two youthful boysA
Page 20 and 21: Stories of World War TwoMr. Gregory
Page 22 and 23: the right moment, it would hit the
Page 24 and 25: These are just a few of the many st
Page 26 and 27: After many years, Walter Ludlow's s
Page 28 and 29: The man believed he could make it t
Page 30 and 31: Schooner LifeBefore roads connected
Page 32 and 33: days. Coming back was the same way.
Page 34 and 35: the name of Saunders up in Herring
Page 36 and 37: The McKenna family business has sto
Page 38 and 39: southern end of Change Islands. Dur
Page 40 and 41: The Newfoundland PonyWhen people ta
Page 42 and 43: "Prince" poses for a photo while ta
Page 44 and 45: The original St. Patrick's Church,
Page 46 and 47: group would go over the hills behin
Page 50 and 51: Green ribbon around neck: Believed
Page 52 and 53: Removing the soundbone,or "splittin
Page 54 and 55: Yaffling and piling dry cod.Lifting
Page 56 and 57: 'Number Two' fish was not as good.
Page 58 and 59: There were thirteen stores on the p
Page 60 and 61: ShipwrecksWhen a schooner or other
Page 62 and 63: The Wreck Commissioner was StoneyFo
Page 64 and 65: The Dominion and AlarmMany sealing
Page 66 and 67: Tragedy at the IceThe seal hunt is
Page 68 and 69: time they made it, they found nothi
Page 70 and 71: Jumping Ship on Fogo IslandOn Octob
Page 72 and 73: Year's Eve, some of the men became
Page 74 and 75: The Lumber WoodsMany local men fish
Page 76 and 77: They would be hungry after a long,
Page 78 and 79: Loading the Tractor Sleds Up With F
Page 80 and 81: Lumber Woods TravelWhen on their wa
Page 82 and 83: They did not have one thing dry to
Page 84 and 85: true as I'm here! That was the firs
Page 86 and 87: Since 'white ends' in the forest we
Page 88 and 89: Man's Best FriendToday, most dogs a
Page 90 and 91: Retriever or the 'Landseer'. The La
Page 92 and 93: Strange EventsThe Ghost ShipA young
Page 94 and 95: The Light in the BightOne evening i
Page 96 and 97: BoatsBefore the days of long liners
Page 98 and 99:
The first 50 foot long liner of Fog
Page 100 and 101:
the loss of his wife and his daught
Page 102 and 103:
could hear strange noises. These so
Page 104 and 105:
medical facilities and other servic
Page 106 and 107:
Mr. William Donahue and his family
Page 108 and 109:
Anglican Church Indian Islands, 196
Page 110 and 111:
The Beheading of Michael TurpinDuri
Page 112 and 113:
Bringing WaterYears ago, people did
Page 114 and 115:
The Good SheppardsOn the morning of
Page 116 and 117:
This is a copy of Nathaniel Sheppar
Page 118 and 119:
The Fogo ProcessMany people have he
Page 120 and 121:
When people watched themselves and
Page 122 and 123:
When the Markland finally came into
Page 124 and 125:
Bits and PiecesDrifting AwayOne day
Page 126 and 127:
Swan Skin MittsWhen birding and sea
Page 128 and 129:
TravelThis photo was taken in 1956
Page 130 and 131:
My First Pair of ShoesOne lady reca
Page 132 and 133:
A Poor Night, Not Too Long AgoApril
Page 134 and 135:
As darkness approached, fog and dri
Page 136 and 137:
All of the people involved in this
Page 138 and 139:
BibliographyArticles:Author Unknown
Page 140 and 141:
Photos and IllustrationsWinston Osm
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