[expand]The fever treatment used cooling herbs. The willow bark tea containing salicylic acid—the aspirin-like compound reducing fever and pain, the bitter taste being tolerated for therapeutic benefit—was standard fever remedy when willow was accessible. The external cooling used damp cloths—the evaporation removing heat from skin, the repeated applications being necessary, and the technique being combined with herbal tea for maximum effect. The fever was monitored carefully—the excessive treatment causing dangerous temperature drops, the balance being delicate, and the judgment about when to stop treatment being important skill.
The wound care prevented infection. The immediate washing removed dirt—the clean water being essential first step, the thorough cleaning preventing debris-related infection—followed by herbal treatment. The yarrow or other hemostatic herbs stopped bleeding, the antimicrobial herbs like onion or garlic reduced infection risk, and the covering with clean cloth protected wound during healing. The wound was inspected regularly—looking for infection signs like red streaks, pus, or excessive swelling—with treatment being intensified if infection developed. The serious wounds sometimes required cauterization—the heated metal sealing blood vessels, the extreme pain being accepted as necessary evil, and the technique preventing fatal blood loss when herbal remedies were insufficient.
The digestive complaints received varied treatments. The mild upset was treated with wormwood tea—the bitter compounds stimulating digestion, the mild effect being adequate for simple indigestion—or mint if available. The serious conditions like persistent vomiting or severe diarrhea required more aggressive treatment—the withholding of solid food, the administration of binding herbs like oak bark, and the careful reintroduction of nutrition—though severe cases often ended fatally despite treatment. The parasitic worms were treated with bitter herbs—the wormwood being most common, the theory being that parasites found bitter environment intolerable—though effectiveness was variable and re-infection was common.
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