Country Lore: She Found the Cure for the Common Cold
A dose of garlic tea will do the trick.
December 2008/January 2009
By Esther Clarke
When I was a young girl, they used to say that if someone should ever discover the cure for the common cold, that person would become a millionaire. I have learned rather late that you should never believe what “they” say. I, an underpaid working stiff, have discovered the cure for the cold, and still go to my dismal job each day and must count, if not my pennies, my dollars.
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At the first sign of an impending cold — a sniffle, scratchiness in the throat, itchy or runny eyes — crush a large clove of garlic (or two or three) and place the garlic in a cup. You should let the garlic rest for 10 minutes, which is supposedly how long it takes for its good stuff to be released. Pour boiling water over the garlic, leaving room for honey and lemon. Add honey and/or lemon to taste (optional). Drink. The garlic will remain at the bottom of the cup. Scoop it up with a spoon and chew it well before swallowing. The next day, if the scratchy throat and other symptoms persist, repeat the process.
Just one cup of garlic tea may be enough to stave off that cold, or you may want to play it safe and have two or three cups over the course of that first sniffle-prone day, and carry on doing the same for the next couple of days. The tea tastes nice and will not make you smell any more garlicky than any food that contains semi-cooked garlic. Drunk persistently, garlic tea can help prevent or stop a cold.
Esther Clarke
Meshoppen, Pennsylvania
