Monday, October 17, 2016

19th Century Medicine Cayenne Pepper

The Medical Companion: or family physician; treating of the diseases of the United States by James Ewell ©1827 is the source for today's post is on Red Pepper or Cayenne

PEPPER, RED OR CAYENNE, Capsicum Annum—It is cultivated in our gardens; it is a powerful stimulant, and has been found beneficial in chronic rheumatism.—Those who are subject to flatulence will find benefit in using it. with vegetables and soup. In cases of violent pain or cramp in the stomach, no medicine is superior to a strong infusion of red pepper, one or two pods to half a pint of spirits, in dose from a half to a wine glassful.—It is also useful, both as a medicine and gargle, in putrid sore throat, when infused in water. Steeped in spirits and applied warm to the extremities in chronic rheumatism, or low stages of nervous fever, when the circulation is languid, it has produced the most happy effects.

I have a friend who will love seeing this post, she loves just about every pepper possible and the hotter the better. To know that this pepper is helpful to body health...well, she'll be trying to get me to eat spicier foods.

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