Down with that
By PAT WICK
© Another Day in the Country
In the country, especially in the winter every year, there are a lot of folk "down with this or that." We've decided, in our limited survey of life in winter, it's because: A. folks are closed up in semi-heated buildings without fresh air, and B. because it takes so much body energy just to keep warm, so there's less energy for your immune system. It's a theory — probably nothing to it.
There was an impressive list of things to "get you down" in my grandparents' era: Scarlet fever was a huge threat to a large family. Tuberculosis was something to be feared and each family had their ideas about how these sicknesses were spread. My grandma was sure the common dipper in the drinking water was one of them and cautioned me to always insist on my own glass in certain households.
When Aunt Erna was born into the Schubert Family, Aunt Mary from the Bentz side of the family came to help out — after all, Grandma Schubert already had four youngsters. There had been scarlet fever in the Bentz family and even though the ministering aunt wasn't sick any longer, she evidently brought the bug with her.
"There was a theory," says Aunt Anna, age 99, "that the scales from scarlet fever were carried in your clothes
The country doctors worked valiantly to contain the disease — the Schuberts were under quarantine and couldn't go anywhere until the sickness had carried its course through every member of the family. "Dad had an important letter that had to go out in the mail and we had to put it in the oven to sterilize it before the mailman could pick it up for delivery," Anna told me.
Measles was another scourge and my aunt recalls she came down with them in church. "You know how measles are," she said. "You feel sick for a day or two and you don't know quite what it is and then you're better and then you're sick again and finally you break out. Well, I came down with measles in church, on Gus Schubert's confirmation Sunday — we exposed Uncle Emil's whole family. I often wonder why our parents didn't leave us home when we weren't feeling well? Of course, they had no idea it was the measles."
Probably because of the wisdom of survivors from the era when knowledge of how contagious disease spread was sparse, my mother was a stickler for detail. If anyone in our family was sniffling, fevered, or lethargic, we stayed home! We always were equipped with hankies for sneezing into so that airborne germs were trapped. She was a wash-your-hands fanatic. I wore long stockings (much to my dismay) and winter underwear to keep warm. Sugar was as off-limits as we were because she believed it weakened the immune system — and she's right!
My sister just picked up the mail and with Grandpa's story on my mind, I'm approaching those envelopes with caution. It never occurred to me mail could be the source of germs. Even mother didn't think of mail! She did believe money was filthy and you should wash your hands after handling it.
Tooltime Tim came down with some form of flu over the weekend. He hasn't a clue as to where he picked up the bug. He was miserable and we're all wondering how close we had to get to be exposed. Meanwhile, all of our remedies have kicked into play. Sugar is off the dietary list, elderberry extract is on.
It's another day in the country and I'm doing every aid to wellness I know — drinking lots of water, swallowing detox herbs, Noni juice, and garlic. I'm going home to do yoga to help my body's lymph system be efficient. Here's to your continued health! And if you don't feel good, STAY HOME!
