[Sca-cooks] Beets and backfiles was Beets

[Daniel Myers]

On Feb 2, 2004, at 11:23 AM, Laura C. Minnick wrote:

> At 08:05 AM 2/2/2004, you wrote:
>> While Johnnae quotes the OED for the word "beet",
>> here is the OED entry for the word "beetroot":
>>
>> The root of the beet ... 1579 Langham 'Gard.
>> Health' "Strake a little salt on a beete roote,
>> and plant it into the fundament."
>>
>> I am not sure what that means, but I present it
>> anyway. :-)
>
> ***grossout meter warning***
>
> It's a remedy for hemorrhoids. Potatoes used to be used the same way. 
> Carved into a little 'plug', they not only push the nasty buggers back 
> in for awhile (in hopes the swelling will go down a bit) but they were 
> felt to have an astringent property, which also helps get the swelling 
> down.


That's almost as good as the remedy involving the burning fig.  Really 
makes you appreciate modern medicine, eh?

- Doc


-- 
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  Edouard Halidai  (Daniel Myers)
  http://www.medievalcookery.com/
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