Aunt Dollie’s Remedies and Tips – Reviewed by: Beth Adams, Pacific Book Review

When I hear about home remedies, I often think of William Shakespeare’s MacBeth; in the opening scene the three witches saying, “Double double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble. Fillet of a fenny snake, In the caldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog,” … and so on.  Aunt Dollie’s remedies are not like a witches’ brew at all, they are simply made from items usually found around the home, without any nefarious purpose in mind.

Author Clementine Holmes Bass has collected, categorized and chronicled hundreds of tidbits of paper with remedies scribed on each, kept in his Aunt Dollie’s cabinet, tied up with pieces of string.  Each pertaining to various illnesses or uncomfortable conditions, ranging from abrasions to warts, cancer to coughs, sleeping disorders to emotional stability, and every thinkable situation in between.  The book is partitioned with a very clear Table of Contents with all remedies, groups of common-sense advice, and household hints, intermixing the wholesome philosophy of having people take care of themselves rather than relying on Big Pharma.

I must admit some of the items written about had me searching Google for background, such as this excerpt: “Hint: A little bit of asafetida tied in a soft cloth around the neck will keep diseases away.”  (I now know what asafetida is.) A few seemed a bit unusual, such as: “Sore Throat Wear a dirty sock around the neck when going to bed.”  As well as some being life-saving advice, such as: “Bleeding can be stopped by pouring acid iron mineral (available at the drugstore) on the cut. Regardless of how bad the wound is, keep pouring. It will turn black and cake the wound until you can get to the doctor. Every person needs a bottle.”  Under common-sense advice: “If you need a right-handed glove and only have a left one, just turn it inside out.”

From her small home, down a road in Arkansas, then onto a dirt trail surrounded by trees and thickets, up to a fence and through a gate, Aunt Dollie’s advice is now available for many to benefit from.  Generously provided in a format which pays tribute to Aunt Dollie and her wisdom, Clementine Holmes Bass has brought Aunt Dollie’s Remedies and Tips to all in this splendid book.  Part reference, part wisdom, but all loving in its message, this book is something which all households should have access to – perhaps tied up with a string in the kitchen drawer to commemorate its heritage.