Turpentine Medical Uses

Turpentine aka spirit of turpentine or wood turpentine is a liquid that is distilled from resin of live pine trees. Turpentine is used as a solvent but also has been historically used as a medicine. Today turpentine made from petroleum products has replaced much of the original natural production. Although they have replaced natural pine turpentine they are NOT the same product.

Turpentine has been used as a natural medicine for thousands of years. Turpentine is made by distilling the resin from certain pine trees. Click link (How Turpentine Is Made) to learn how to distill your own Turpentine the old fashioned way.

This article is focused on the HISTORIC medical uses of Turpentine. Turpentine vapor is hazardous to your health. Inhalation can damage not only the lungs and eyes, but your central nervous system as well. If ingested, turpentine can cause kidney damage. And let's not forget that Turpentine is a very flammable substance so be careful.

As already stated Turpentine inhalation is hazardous, but it was once common to use Turpentine topically on the chest to aid with breathing difficulties which include pneumonia.

Cuts and abrasions is another issue that Turpentine was used to treat historically. To treat, a cotton ball was dabbed in Turpentine and the cotton ball would be taped or tied to the wound. The cotton ball would have Turpentine added periodically as it dried.

Keep in mind that too much Turpentine on the skin will irritate the skin.

Turpentine can also be used for nail fungus.

Three parts castor oil mixed with one part turpentine has been used to treat arthritis and even gout.

Turpentine can also be used to treat a Cold or Flu. If you have a sore throat, then swabbing the back of the throat with turpentine was how that illness was handled. If your sinuses are the issue, then a small amount of turpentine mixed with castor oil and then mixed and dripped into the nostril was supposed to help with congestion.

For the cough, take a couple of drops to turpentine on a small amount of sugar taken orally. This is the exact same treatment for treating parasites and Candida.

Head lice were also the target of a turpentine treatment. I will take the advice of the Ancient Egyptians and just shave my head.