Witches and Quacks
In the 1600s the county of Lancashire had its fair share of witches. but what were witches? Some were eveil and cast spells but many were simple old women (usually women) who administered herbs and cures for different ailments. Even in the 20th Century on of the cures fir whooping cough was being dipped in al old tar barrel full of cold water. The sure for sore fet was to bathe then in comfrey water. Comfrey was also used as a way of mending broken bones, in fact its other name is kitbone.
We had a few witxches but there were a lot more Quack doctors. In the late 1800s there was one such old spinster that lived up at Copp. She had a cure for everything, her name was Annie Capstick. One of her cures was for the common cold. Drink a pint of whiskey and then go home and have a row. She claimed it o it worked every time.