Local people have always used home remedies. There were very few doctors and nurses in their communities, so they had to find ways to care for themselves. The following is a brief look at some popular cures.

Poultices were used to treat infections in cuts and wounds. For example, a 'gathered', or infected finger could be treated using a poultice. In 1984, Mr Roy Athony shared his recipe for making a 'bread poultice'.

He explained that a slice of bread would be soaked with boiling water. Then it would be drained and placed on a piece of cotton. A few drops of mineral or olive oil would also be added to keep the bread from drying out. When cooled, the poultice would be placed on the infection and left for several hours. Most people would apply a poultice just before going to bed. This would be repeated several times until the infection was 'drawn' out. If the infection was difficult to cure, dried elder blossom or tansy would be added to the poultice.