What One Lemon Will Do ...

One of the interesting aspects of clearing out my Mum's house has been the discovery of many old documents, books, letters and the like, which are the accumulated family archive back to the 1600's.

One of the interesting things I came across was a little journal kept by a relative in 1810 in which are many useful (well no doubt they were in 1810) household tips.

I thought I would share this one with you:

What One Lemon Will Do

A piece of lemon upon a corn will relieve it in a day or two. It should be renewed each night and morning.

The free use of lemon juice and sugar will always relieve a cough.

A lemon eaten before breakfast every day for a week or two will entirely prevent the feeling of lassitude peculiar to the onset of Spring.

The juice of half a lemon squeezed into a teacup of strong black coffee without sugar will sometimes relieve a headache.

Perhaps its most valuable property is its absolute power of detecting any of the injurious and even dangerous ingredients entering into the composition of so many of the cosmetics and face powders in the market. Every lady should subject her toilet powder to the test. Place a teaspoonful of the suspected powder in a glass and add the juice of a lemon. If effervescence takes place, it is in infallible proof that the powder is dangerous, and its use should be avoided, as it will ultimately injure the skin and destroy the beauty of the complexion.

Wise words indeed - you have been warned ;) So it's a lemon for me for breakfast from now on - *yum*

Oh - and in case you are wondering, that's my daughter with a lemon that we grew ourselves and which ultimately ended up in my gin and tonic - by far the best use for a lemon that I can think of :)

AMx