Uterine complaints
Original title: Padecimentos uterinos
Folk remedies for uterine complaints and menstrual pain using aguardente preparations, herbal infusions, baths and poultices.
A remedy widely taken internally for uterine complaints is prepared from spirit (aguardente, distilled from sugar cane or wine), madre de louro (fungal gall on laurel trunks), cinnamon, rue buds, aniseed and two or three cloves. An infusion of chard, basil and amor de burro is also used for the same purpose, as is one of wormwood and other emmenagogue plants. Rosemary, lavender, basil, amor de burro, alecrim de Nossa Senhora, etc., are used in baths or washes. With crushed rue and lavender or French lavender, a beaten egg and a little flour, a poultice is made that has a stimulating action on the uterus. Half a small glass of spirit eases the pains that often accompany menstruation.