Glimpse of Yesteryear

January 17, 2013

At this time of year in Geauga, its the cold and flu season. And, at this time of year in Geauga in the 1700s and 1800s, it was cold (and flu) season.

Flu, not so much. Although the flu (whose name is traced to the Italian word meaning influence) was described by Hippocrates some 2,400 years ago and the European colonization of the Americas is blamed for bringing the flu virus to America, there are no sure indications that there was a flu epidemic here, in Geauga, before the 1900s. Then, we suffered, along with Europe, from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.

Of course, it is not that unlikely there was the odd outbreak of flu back than. Remember, the flu has been known by various names. So, if your ancestors kept diaries (as many – if not most) did, look for epidemic catarrh, grippe (from the French), sweating sickness, and (during the second decade of the 1900s) Spanish Fever. If any of these names are mentioned, it is the flu that was being discussed.

We likely all know what the flu is like. There is (often severe) coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Then (Old Geauga) as now, these symptoms can easily be confused with those of the common cold. However, these diseases are not the same … flu is a more severe disease and is caused by a different type of virus. Flu may produce nausea and vomiting, particularly in children. Flu can more easily lead to pneumonia.

These days, a flu shot is considered the best prevention for flu. So … did you get yours yet?

But back in Old Geauga, there was no such thing as a flu shot. (You had to wait for the 1940s for one of those!) So, how did the early Geaugans keep healthy during the cold (and flu) season?

Dr. Mom back then followed folk wisdom in her preventive medicine. And, the old wisdom said to stay healthy in winter, you needed to stay warm, eat hearty foods and drink enough.

Early Geaugans depended mostly on wood for heat. Rooms in homes were small and a well planned home had a fireplace or stove in most common rooms and, as the 1800s progressed, in most bedrooms, too.

Then, there was clothing. Happily, hats and headscarves were already decreed by fashion. At bedtime, knitted nightcaps and thick bed socks were worn. As the 1800s proceeded, long underwear became a must … even for the ladies (it could become chilly even under all those skirts).

Gloves and mittens were an important part of ones wardrobe … and were favorite gifts. Stockings of knitted wool were warn inside the house and provided the insulation in the boots and high top shoes warn outdoors. Thick quilts and down comforters appeared on beds. Knitted throws graced chairs.

Soups and stews appeared very frequently, providing both the hearty food and the drink. Even back in the 1800s, Dr. Mom knew of the value of chicken soup.

For those Drs. Mom who wanted to do more to prevent colds, there were the Big Three … lemons, garlic and onion. Hot fresh lemon juice taken every day. For an even stronger anti-cold remedy, add garlic juice to it. Some preferred onion syrup, onions boiled into a concentrated solution with sugar added to taste was said to stop an oncoming cold in its tracks.

If someone came down with a cold (or flu), the symptoms were treated. (Thats mostly what we do now.) Dr. Mom knew that loafsugar and brandy relieves a sore throat; that when the throat is very bad for adults, it is good to inhale the steam of scalding hot vinegar through the tube of a funnel. For a queasy stomach, Dr. Mom might take dried huckleberries and make them into a tea to be drunk sweetened with molasses. Peppermint was also used for this problem.

Elderberry blossom tea was thought to be the best treatment for fever.

Not all remedies were by mouth. Turpentine and lard were mixed and rubbed on the chest for colds. Coal oil or kerosene could be used in place of the turpentine.

And, above all … bed rest!

For information on the events at the Geauga County Historical Society’s Century Village Museum, call 440-834-1492 or visit www.geaugahistorical.org.