Following comments about a recent newspaper article which had claimed that urine might be a cure for jelly-fish stings, I was tempted to suggest that someone might be taking the piss. More seriously, however, having thought about it for a minute or two, I was reminded that, when I was a child, the same substance was recommended as a remedy for chilblains.
This prompted me to try to recall other unusual or unlikely 'cures'
which were advocated in those days - and the only one which sprung to mind was the notion that soot was better than toothpaste for cleaning teeth.
Intriguingly, I can remember my father collecting soot from the inside of the chimney in our living room and, although I recall him claiming to have tried it out, I can't honestly recall whether or not he persuaded me to follow his example.
Interestingly, when I smoked a pipe, I used a powdered form of tooth-cleanser and I imagine, from a technical point of view, the same scientific principle would apply. From a commercial point of view, however, it probably made more sense for the product to be light-coloured and pleasantly-flavoured.
Does anyone else have experiences with old-fashioned 'remedies'?
#unlikeyremedies
