Part of a year-long weekly series of excerpts from Ypsilanti teenager Allie McCullough's 1874 diary, from the last year of her life.You may remember that last week Allie was quite sick with what sounded like a bad ear infection. Her girlfriends Carrie and Joe visited her at her home, but by the end of the week Allie said she felt "very lonesome--am almost crazy."
May 8 Fri. Instead of going to Lyceum as usual, went to bed very early, head and ear pain me as much as ever. If I did not take powders, do not know that [what?] I should have done. Joe came tonight. I saw her and had quite a talk.
May 9 Sat. There have been several callers today. Feel a little better. Carrie did not come. I expected her though.
May 10 Sun. Was quite bad, but better than last week.
May 11 Mon. Joe came down. It is fearful warm. Carrie came and we had a good talk.
May 12 Tues. Have read almost all day. Am improving slowly. Joe came at night.
May 13 Wed. Carrie came down tonight and told me some things of importance, as usual. She is not feeling very well. I am very much afraid that she will be sick. I would not have it for anything. Carrie W. came down after supper. She made a long call. The fire engine came down, watered the house and ground all over.
May 14 Thurs. Joe came again and told me much of school news. Miss Pierce is sick. I guess that they do very much as they please up there. Would give anything if I could go tomorrow night, but of course, I cannot. The boys at school are going to get up a picnic and I am afraid it will be before I can go. Hope not.
May 15 Fri. Ma and Marion went down to Gill's and left me all alone to get dinner. It was alright, but I burnt the meat a little but Will said it was first rate. Did up all of the dinner work. About four o'clock Tom and Barnard came from Milford. I had to get dinner for them. They went out to the shop and I got supper. They are to stay all night. Ma got home after supper.
May 16 Sat. It rained this morning. Ma got her teeth. My ear is running yet, have a fearful headache. Miss Carson came over this afternoon. Ma and Marion were gone almost all of the afternoon calling.
Sad, as she is not feeling any better. I hope she had smoe good days during the last year.
ReplyDeleteWe shall see as the year unrolls. It seems the "powders" she took, whatever those may be (perhaps a patent medicine?), aren't working too well, if at all.
ReplyDeleteOn rereading, she says if not for the powders, she doesn't know what she would have done...so I'm guessing they were some sort of sedative? What "powders" were available in Ypsi in 1874? Hmm...might be time to hit the old newspapers...
ReplyDeletePerhaps a derivative of opium? Incidentally, warmed oil of St. Johnswort is good for earache. Just steep flowers in olive oil for a few weeks when they are in bloom (around summer solstice), then keep it in a dark place for just these emergencies.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great herbalist tip Lisele; thank you! It really makes me wonder how many people in those days similarly made their own tinctures, tonics, and other medicines, even urbanites of yore. Practically everyone lived on a farm at one point before migrating here. Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteOpium seems like a very good guess. I hope Allie talks more about medicines--I'm utterly fascinated by the history of medicine and patent medicines and the like.
I didn't realize 1874 was the final year of Allie's life. That is sad, indeed. It reinforces to me the value of diary keeping -- we would never know of her short life at all, without the tiny diary.
ReplyDeleteThis is very true...one wonders if people's personal blogs will serve the same function a century from now.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about the reference to the fire department watering the house and yard. Seems like casual reference, so probably not a fire. I wonder if it was typical for a fire truck to come around with water for things other than fire emergencies.
ReplyDeleteThe reference to mom "getting her teeth" was odd too. Either it's an idiom I've never heard, or she got dentures??