Much before the existence of pills and the modern antibiotics, Mother Nature offered a bountiful home remedies to cure all ills. Here is a ready reckoner for these home remedies that will come in handy while tackling your family's common illnesses. So the next time you or anyone at home is feeling under the weather, head for the kitchen cabinet instead of your medicinal kit. Listed below are a host of remedies for some common ailments.  

• Cough
  
  Add a gram of turmeric (haldi) powder to a teaspoon of honey for curing dry cough. Also chew a cardamom for a long time.
  
• Cold
  
  Mix a gram of dalchini powder with a teaspoon of honey to curb a cold. Prepare a cup of tea to which you should add ginger, clove, bay leaf and black pepper. This should be consumed twice a day. Reduce the intake as the cold disappears.
  
• Hiccups
  
  Take a warm slice of lemon and sprinkle salt, sugar and black pepper on it. The lemon should be eaten until the hiccups stop.
  
• Toothache
  
  Chew a clove or dip a piece of cotton wool in clove oil and place on the aching tooth for best results.
  
• Itching
  
  Apply neem oil to the affected area. Or make a fresh paste of some neem leaves and apply externally. Boil neem leaves in the hot water used for your bath. Also eat a teaspoon of neem juice along with sugar for quick relief.
  
• Injury
  
  For any cut or wound, apply turmeric powder to the injured portion to stop the bleeding. It also works as an antiseptic. You can tie a bandage after applying haldi.
  
• Bodyache
  
  Boil ten tulsi leaves in one cup of water until the syrup is reduced to half a cup. After cooling, add salt to the liquid decoction. Take this mixture daily to stop body ache.  Alternatively take half a gram of dalchini powder with one-teaspoon honey at least twice a day for best results.
  
• Physical weakness
  
  In order to reduce weakness and increase blood circulation, make a dry fruit milkshake made out of ten dry grapes, five  dates and two dry figs along with a glass of milk. Have it once or twice a day to feel fresh and energetic.
  
• Diabetes
  
  The best remedy for this disease is the bitter gourd, better known as 'karela'. Eat this vegetable as often as you can or have at least one tablespoon of karela juice daily to reduce blood sugar levels in your blood and urine. Besides, take ten tulsi leaves, ten neem leaves and ten belpatras with a glass of water early morning on an empty stomach. It will work wonders in keeping your sugar levels under control.