Cough Remedy

By Viola Suydam

        My Grandparents Mary [Britton] and Jonathan Tuttle lived in the house on Main St. Eastport, which is now known as the oldest house in Eastport which was known as Seatuck when it was built there in.  They were known to the whole village as Aunt Mary and Uncle Don't [pronounced 'Daan't'].

        Every year my grandfather would go into the woods and fields to gather herbs and plant for my grandmother to use.  She had a large covered wash boiler which they kept to use for cooking a lot of food.  They filled that boiler with plants and herbs and pour cold water over them and cook several hours until all the goodness was out of the plants.

        Then the lot would be strained and sweetened with molasses.  Some molasses (no particular amount) was poured in, cooked a little while and some of it bottled for spring tonic.  Then more molasses was poured in and cooked until it was a light syrup.  This she called cough syrup.  This was about 80 years ago that I remember.  [probably about 1900]