Lord John and the Private Matter

In Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon, there are three intriguing references to remedies of the time (1757). In the novel, there is need for an antidote to mercury, which was the usual treatment for syphilis. The antidote given was copious amounts of raw egg white, which is still used today as an antidote to mercury or lead poisoning, because the albumen in the egg white binds to the heavy metal and is then ejected by the body. In the book, the character so affected had frequent bouts of vomiting.

Second, a battlefield story is told in which a gut-shot soldier was patched up by the application of honey to the wound … Read more