Old wives' tales

It never ceases to amaze me when I see a post online about some archaic remedy still being suggested in modern times. Although I admit to having no professional medical training, I do pay attention and to my studying when necessary. I believe I can say with some certainty that leaving a sliced onion in the room of someone with the flu will in fact, not cure them of the flu. Germs will not magically float across the room to the onion like a magnet. Neither will binding an onion to the bottom of one's foot, cure them of whatever ails them.  Because chances are, that cold was well on its way out the door when you strapped that onion to your foot, and did not actually "draw the infection out". 

Feeding a cold and starving a fever is a falsity. Starving yourself while ill will only further weaken you. The term was stave, meaning to prevent. Though there are hundreds of other foolish and illogical "remedies" passed on for decades if not hundreds of years, let me just say that if it sounds odd, irrational, or just plain crazy, then it probably is. Use your common sense. Take your vitamins. Down that cough syrup and acetaminophen when needed. Talk to your doctor. Coincidence can be very deceiving at times, leading us to believe in ideas that are inaccurate. 

All this being said, I must say that the vinegar and mouthwash bath for callused feet does indeed work. Granted I acknowledge the possibility that soaking ones' feet in any liquid for 20-30 minutes is liable to make any amount of dead skin more eager to slough off. For all I know water and dish soap might be just as effective. I shall try it on my husband's ever peeling feet and see.