Dr Lillian Beard gave this excellent talk on her book “Salt in Your Sock and Other Tried-and-True Home Remedies.”

Beard, an associate clinical professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and the medical contributor on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning Washington,” compiled hundreds of family recipes for wellness from her patients and colleagues during a 30-year period of practicing medicine.

According to Beard, as long as there have been grandmothers, tight budgets and sniffles, there have been home remedies. Beyond chicken soup, the kitchen can be a gold mine for products that alleviate many common ailments.

The book is also a cracking read.

For example:

• For cold sores, apply cool, wet teabags (Earl Grey preferred).
• For nosebleeds, have your child sniff a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• For earaches, fill a sock with salt warmed in a frying pan, then hold the sock against the affected ear.