Memories of Norka from an interview with Catherine Bauer on 14 October 1938
I took care of many sick people and helped in childbirth. There was one doctor in each community but women neighbors did most of the work for the sick. I liked this work and made up medicine for lots of people.
It doesn't seem like people got sick in Russia like they do here and did not have the nervous diseases. These remedies were always good.
Fried onions for a cold.
Sour apple juice for fever.
Mud for bites. For headache and stomach ache we just bore it out. No medicine. They did not know much about appendicitis and didn't cut people open. Bowel trouble was hardly ever heard of. People eat course black bread and boiled vegetables more and worked lots. Gall trouble was the worst disease there and killed more people. The water was poor and they got most of their trouble from it. Kerosene was given for croup.
Home made butter for cuts and wounds.
Balin oil for earache.
Strong tea for sore eyes.
Hard boiled egg yolk, wax, butter made into a paste was used for burns and it was very good. Very few eye glasses were worn in Russia. The lights were not so bright there and people did not read so much. I guess lots of people in America just wear them for looks or style and the eye doctors talk them into getting glasses.
I still use coal oil lamps here because they are better light for the eyes and do not cost so much.
For me they are handier.
We still use many of the home made medicines here. The people here now do not follow the old customs, except some in weddings and some churches.
Source: Library of Congress - American Life Histories