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Health & Fitness

Secret of the Willow Tree.

When our family doctor, Sylvester J. Hartig, MD, made house calls in the 1940s he charged $3. He also served as our air raid warden.  To us, he was Jonas Salk and Uncle Sam combined and rebranded for the residents of Pelham, New York.  I have forgotten what make or model car he drove, maybe it was a Nash or Oldsmobile or Pontiac.  In any case, the cost of gas was about 11 cents a gallon but he never charged for mileage (besides, he only lived two blocks away).  When he attended to any of our family members, his parting words were always the same, “Drink plenty of fluids like Ginger Ale,  take two aspirins and call me in the morning.”  It was amazing how rapidly we recovered.  We speculated about the possibility that he owned stock in Ginger Ale.  In any case, we were so fond and respectful of him.   No wonder we held a rationalized prejudice -- he was, after all, the best doctor in the whole world! 

Aspirin (also known as ASA or acetylsalicylic acid) comes from the bark of the willow tree and has been used since antiquity to reduce fever, pain and inflammation.  Hippocrates himself used willow bark in the form of tea.  Even Lewis and Clark brought some along on their expeditions.  It’s probably the oldest wonder drug we have. 

Millions of people around the world are now on a low dose aspirin regimen – a single, coated enteric 81 mg tablet is swallowed by us each and every day.  Maybe we’re living longer because blood is flowing more freely throughout our bodies. There are several uses for aspirin which society swears by and although I have not personally tested these ideas, many of them make sense to me.  You should buy a container of uncoated 325 mg and try out some of these remedies.  For example:

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1. You can treat dandruff by crushing a couple of tablets and adding the powder to your shampoo. Be sure to leave the shampoo/aspirin mix on your hair for several minutes before rinsing.  Many people claim the aspirin/shampoo mix can restore your natural hair color (bottle blondes use caution). 

2. Prevent soil fungus from destroying your garden by dissolving an aspirin in a gallon of water before giving plants a drink.  You can do this with cut flowers to prolong their life.

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3. You can get rid of zits by crushing an aspirin, mixing it with water to create a paste and coating the area for several minutes before rinsing.

4. Remove perspiration stains from clothing by soaking in a warm water/crushed aspirin solution. 

5. Ease the itch of bug bites by dissolving a tablet or two in warm water and rubbing it on the affected area.

6. For calluses on your heels, crush 4 to 6 aspirin, mix with water and lemon juice to make a paste. Spread it on your heels, cover with a warm cloth for about 10 minutes.  They should be soft enough to scrub down more easily.

7. If you drive a car with a traditional battery which has died, stick two aspirin into it.  At least you can get the car started one last time to get to the nearest auto repair shop. I sincerely hope these tips work out well.  In case they don’t, well don’t call me to complain.  Remember, I am not Sylvester Hartig, MD and I don’t make house calls.

 

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