The long-lived Amish are known for their homemade furniture, cheese products and their simple ways. Now you can get their health advice in the book "The Wisdom of Amish Folk Medicine" by Patrick Quillin.
In this charming 60-page paperback (The Leader Co., $9.95) we learn how to treat everything from bad breath and bald spots to warts and varicose veins. Some of these treatments are unusual, and the author recommends consulting your doctor before embarking on any particular cure.Here is a sampling:
- Bad breath. Try chewing on a couple of anise seeds after dinner. They have a licorice flavor. Or take five grams of purified charcoal tablets each day to cleanse the stomach and intestines.
- Cold sores. The Amish drink sage tea and take extra vitamin C. Topical vitamin E cream may help relieve pain from herpes sores.
- Diaper rash. Apply vitamin E to affected area and sprinkle cornstarch on as well. Be sure and air out all diapers after washing to get rid of bacteria. Sunlight is good.
- Sleeping problems. Try teas made of catnip, skullcap, peppermint, golden seal or blue vervain before bed. Rub your feet well with vinegar water before retiring and think good thoughts.
- Intestinal worms. These critters can supposedly be killed by swallowing garlic tablets or sauerkraut juice. A diet of hulled pumpkin seeds followed by a laxative may also help, as will a tea made out of pumpkin seeds and peppermint.
- Warts. The Amish recommend soaking a bandage in castor oil and wrapping it around the wart region or applying milkweed juice or the milky liquid inside a dandelion. You can also rub the offending wart with garlic each day or apply iodine.
Vinegar is apparently the most common remedy in the Amish medicine arsenal. Here are some of its uses: as an underarm deodorant after bathing; as a gargle for a sore throat when diluted in water; as a hair rinse; or to remove stubborn stains.
Finally, the author suggests boiling vinegar in a pot on the stove and inhaling the vapors to relieve plugged sinuses.
To order a copy, send $9.95 to The Leader Co., 931 N. Main St., Suite 101, North Canton, OH 44720.