A Strong Woman, my mother

Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it. Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I come from a long line of strong women on both sides of my family, and I am writing about them.

I can start with my mother, Lois Robison Council, who bore seven children at home. She raised all of them using home remedies for almost all of their illnesses. One of her sons was hospitalized for a burst appendix, and another son had back surgery because of an injury incurred when he was in the Navy. For normal illnesses, she believed in letting your body heal itself. We only went to the doctor for major illnesses.

She used some over-the-counter meds when they were called for. Castor Oil and Grove's Chill Tonic were two favorites. The tonic was created by the same man who built the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. And we could not have made it without Watkins Liniment or Vicks Salve, now called Vicks VapoRub. We didn't have Alka-Seltzer or Tums. For tummy troubles, we took a teaspoon of Baking Soda in a glass of water. It still works well.

Mother saved my sister's life when the baby suffered from pneumonia. At that time, there were no antibiotics. Doctors gave up on my sister. But Mother decided to try a home-made method as a desperate last attempt. 

She made a tar and tallow plaster that she placed on Gay's chest. As neighbors sat with her, Mother tried to prepare to lose her precious child. When everyone had given up, the woman holding my baby sister said, "Miz Council, I believe her fever has broke."

My sister is alive today and very healthy.

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A tar and tallow plaster (or salve) is a traditional home remedy primarily used to draw out infections and relieve respiratory congestion. Historically, it combines pine tar for its antiseptic properties with tallow (rendered animal fat) as a soothing carrier that mimics the skin's natural oils. 

Respiratory Relief

For a sick person suffering from a deep cough, flu, or cold, a tar and tallow mixture is often applied as a chest poultice. 

• Chest Congestion: Tallow acts as a base to keep the chest warm, helping loosen mucus and soothe persistent coughing.
• Warm Application: In traditional practice, the mixture is spread on a cloth, warmed, and placed on the chest to improve circulation and clear breathing.
• Preventative Care: Historically, it was used to keep a severe cold or deep cough from progressing into more serious conditions like pneumonia