In the early more dangerous years at Ravenden Springs and Oconee, before we moved to Marmaduke we were twenty miles from a doctor and no transportation to get there.
I had pneumonia several times before I was 13 years old and never went to a doctor.
Your account of the yellow jacket stings, and mothers tooth paste remedy, and how she never got excited was par for the course.
Remember she had several years experience of tying up wounds of different kinds, at least you weren't tortured with her black draugh remedy for constipation.
For coughs it was chill tonic with quinine if she had it, if not a teaspoon of sugar with some coal oil on it worked fine.
For extreme cases, a flannel rag smeared full of vicks salve opened up the head and got you breathing again.
The ultimate disinfection was coal oil (kerosene) for cuts. She would have made a good battlefield nurse. She was calm under fire. Her expertise was a matter of survival for us five boys. (Uncle Paul)
