Does anyone know what Swallow Oil is?

BertieMeldrew

We have a "recipe" for "Daddy's Ointment" which is brilliant stuff - it heals almost anything!. Unfortunately, we now have none left - and "Daddy" departed a long time ago.

In the "recipe" is something called Swallow Oil (or Oil of Swallow). Now I can imagine what it might be (but don't plan on trapping any - but wondered if anyone had any idea whether it is possible to get some...

goldentouch

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Jay-Jay_4

Well I've searched and searched but I can't help

I've found mention of "oil of swallow" but nothing more than a reference to make an ointment.


Sorry





(hiya goldentouch :wave: )

SallyinWales

Whats in the rest of the recipe, we can probably deduce the right sort of oil from the rest, plus the date of it and what country the recipe is from. Castor oil or olive oil is a likely choice off teh top of my head, some early recipes use 'brand names' rather than common names (so a bit like saying 'add two drops of olbas oil' rather than listing what is in olbas oil)

Lorian

Very few references to it on the net.

Take a look at posting 44 and 45 here I think this implies it's possibly either Sassafras Oil or Thyme Oil.

Swan_2

SallyinWales wrote:

some early recipes use 'brand names' rather than common names (so a bit like saying 'add two drops of olbas oil' rather than listing what is in olbas oil)

it never occured to me it might be a brand name, & bearing that in mind here's what I found last night but dismissed (although I still have my doubts about it being what the OP's looking for) Swallow Wart Oil HERE

it does seem strange that there are so few references to it

sproggi

I help with Swallow Oil but the ointment itself seems to be for sale under the name Zambuk.

I read a South African board that were discussing Zambuk and there was a mention of a book containing the recipe with Swallow oil, but still no explination as to what it was.

The only supplier of the ointment in this county is a company in Yorkshire called Rose & Co. Otherwise, I believe that it can be imported from South Africa!!

Jay-Jay_4

AAAARRRRGGGHH!!! I found out what it was last night but before I could come back the site went down :mad:

It's 'oil of swallows' (note the S on the end)

Do a google search on "oil of swallows" and you'll get lots of information but the general agreement is that the basic recipe is thus.... Green Oil, or Oil of Swallows is made by steeping 1 part of bruised fresh elder leaves in 3 parts linseed oil. It's made in the spring when the swallows return.




There's a fab recipe here, third post down. It sounds like a similar thing to your Daddy's ointment.

THIRZAH

I've got a recipe for Zam-buk in an old notebook of my great grandmother's-it contains vaseline, camphor, eucalyptus oil and swallows oil- so I assume it's meant to be rubbed on rather than swallowed!

BertieMeldrew

... I'd just like to thank all contributors for your efforts. I always thought this site was brilliant... now I know it is ..... :beer:

ReaganR3nee

actually, it is Swallows boiled in oil and mixed with herbs. a typical 17th century cure for stiffness/rheumatism...listed in the 1618 Pharmacopoeia Londinensis...