Buttered Flip


In an old American medical journal, The Philadelphia Medical Museum (1811 - Vol 1, No.4), Dr. Richard Hazeltine of Berwick, Maine shared a traditional yankee recipe for "buttered flip" cough medicine:



Often in the imbecile age of childhood, after I had gone to bed have I sip'd, and with no great reluctance, the steeming, salutiferous "buttered flip;" administered by the careful hand of an affectionate mother, to several, perhaps, of her tender offspring, who were affected with various catarrhal complaints, brought on by wet feet, and exposure to sudden vicissitudes of the weather.

The "buttered flip" was composed of recent urine, obtained from some one of the children, hot water, honey, and a little butter: and it generally removed the complaints for which it was given. Exhibited in this manner, it never puked; but it promoted expectoration and sweat.


image source: gracious rain
     Posted By: Alex - Mon Aug 29, 2016
     Category: Medicine | Body Fluids





Comments
Water, honey, butter, and lemon (rum and/or salt) works well still today but why urine? The only think I can think of is to make it taste bad 'cause as we all know, medicine doesn't work if it doesn't taste disgusting.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 08/29/16 at 10:16 AM
Well, use of urine in home medicine was good enough for the Romans, why shouldn't it work now?

Now, excuse me while I go bury a dead toad to take care of this wart...
Posted by KDP on 08/29/16 at 11:45 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=342JWjxj5kc
Posted by ges on 08/29/16 at 11:57 AM
I'll stick with the hot toddy.
Posted by GFinKS on 08/29/16 at 02:09 PM
It never puked... No, but I bet some of the recipients did.
Posted by Richard Bos on 08/29/16 at 04:41 PM
Never knew you were supposed to bury the toad. I thought you were supposed to kiss it. No wonder it took so long for that wart to go away.
Posted by Virtual on 08/29/16 at 04:53 PM
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