Old Wives Tales or FACT?

Pighead

Pighead was down the canal walking the dog yesterday. It was a cracking walk until the rain started and Shep started acting the maggot. He hates the rain and tends to take cover by running into ditches.

Anyway he got stuck in the ditch and i had to put my hand blindly into the ditch so I could grab him out using the tried and trusted "stick your fingers up his nostrils" routine. What happened next? Pighead got fcuking stung thats what. Hadn't got stung since the 80's and had forgotten quite how sore it was.

Luckily I've got a magnificent memory and I knew that my grandmother used to always rub my nettle stings with doc leaves. Grabbed a load of docs and rubbed them all over my painful stings. What happened next? NOTHING. Turns out the whole doc leave fix was a sham. Works when your a kid because kids will believe anything. Would have given my gran a piece of my mind but she died in 94 so I kicked shep instead.

So basically this thread is to distinguish between myth and fact.
Does putting salty water on a gum ulcer fix it?
Will drinking vinegar really cure those horrible hiccups?
Is it true that drinking a nagging of vodka will make Sparky S's and FlutterIn Bantams posts bearable?
Hopefully the truth will out.

I never got the doc leaf thing to work either when I was a kid. It's lies, lies I tells you.

BreadBoard

"Turns out the whole doc leave fix was a sham."

Worked for me !

Ruu_Old

All a big, fat bunch o' lies, Pighead. Many times poor old me got stung as a lad and had to run home, crying my eyes out I did. Some of the lads are having a great, old laugh at you, the bastids.

Pighead

Myth wrote:

I never got the doc leaf thing to work either when I was a kid. It's lies, lies I tells you.

What about that jelly fish thing? Do you really reckon pissing on the wound is gonna heal you? I thought this was a myth for ages but my buddy Pervy Peter is always getting stung by jellyfish and he reckons that a little bit of girls piss is the only thing that will make it better.

Pighead

BreadBoard wrote:

"Turns out the whole doc leave fix was a sham."

Worked for me !

My backside it did. Listen BreadBoard(7/10, I don't know why I like it.BUT I DO) Pighead hates to call you a big fat smelly liar but theres no doubt that you definitely are one. Doc leaves havre about as much healing powers as my willy. And if you've seen my willy you'll know theres nothing at all impressive about it. Hang your head and admit you lie.

Waltons

It's a big pile of crapola, I do agree. Maybe they don't work unless a particular animal has urinated all over them, or something.

Pighead

Pighead wrote:

What about that jelly fish thing? Do you really reckon pissing on the wound is gonna heal you? I thought this was a myth for ages but my buddy Pervy Peter is always getting stung by jellyfish and he reckons that a little bit of girls piss is the only thing that will make it better.

First I heard of that was when I saw it on Friends, and I haven't ever tried it out. Will let you know as soon as I have had to.

PullMyFinger!

Pighead wrote:

Will drinking vinegar really cure those horrible hiccups?

I remember hearing an old wives tale about vinegar as a kid but it had nothing to do with hiccups

Welcome back Sir Piggy.

Black Swan

OK, Grandma believed in feeding you chicken soup when you were ill. Not too long ago I read someplace that there actually were some benefits to this old wives tale, but I cannot remember the source.

*Blue jumps under the table in the coffeehouse and waits for the Pighead reply*

slipss

I'm not sure about the doc leaf thing, it always worked instantaneously(that can't be spelt right) for me when I was a kid, maybe it was just a placebo, i dunno. On the subjects of nettles and old wives tales I'd be interested to know if its true that if you grab a nettle tightly that it won't sting you? I've heard this a few times from people and they swear its true. But i'm not to sure because I seem to remember my old 2nd class teacher use to take us for nature walks on sunny days sometimes in school and he would tell us this and then stand back sniggering to himself as one by one we'd attempt it and burst into tears from our badly stung hands, nice fella, got murdered by one of his former students apparently, go figure.

Scraggs

Oh pighead you've lost your touch I'm very disappointed:(


Dock leaves used to work for me, I think you have to use the 'juicy' bit or something.


What about watching too much TV giving you square eyes?!

Pighead

Scraggs wrote:

Oh pighead you've lost your touch I'm very disappointed:(


Dock leaves used to work for me, I think you have to use the 'juicy' bit or something.

To be honest Pighead doesn't believe in it but i'm a fair man and I'm willing to let you rub your juicy bits on my skin to see for once and for all will it work.

Can't say fairer than that.(said the man with the lisp)

Adam

slipss wrote:

I'm not sure about the doc leaf thing, it always worked instantaneously(that can't be spelt right) for me when I was a kid, maybe it was just a placebo, i dunno. On the subjects of nettles and old wives tales I'd be interested to know if its true that if you grab a nettle tightly that it won't sting you? I've heard this a few times from people and they swear its true. But i'm not to sure because I seem to remember my old 2nd class teacher use to take us for nature walks on sunny days sometimes in school and he would tell us this and then stand back sniggering to himself as one by one we'd attempt it and burst into tears from our badly stung hands, nice fella, got murdered by one of his former students apparently, go figure.

Thats true actually, its to do with the very fine needles on the leaves that cause the sting, if you grab the leaf and firmly the needles get pressed down and cant actually sting you, but its a delicate operation

Lust4Life

My Uncle has been a bee keeper for many a year.
When I was stung during a visit, he packed it with mud.
The salt in the mud draws out the stinger and numbs the pain.
That's his old wives remedy.
It still hurt like hell!

Ruu_Old

Just remember to eat those carrots, you'll be able to see in the dark.;)

Kastro

eating veg putshairs on your chest....
i never ate veg..
i bin veggie for years now and im a hairy mothafukka..
guess me gran was serious.. that or it was a threat.

il gatto

If you use the stem part up the middle of the dock leaf it works. It's gooey like aloe vera. Otherwise you're just making it worse by rubbing an abrasive leaf on the sting. As far as I know, pissing on a jellyfish sting neutralises it as the sting is acidic and the pee is alkalie. But then I'm not Ray Mears, so don't come running to me with a swollen foot reeking like an old man on a whiskey bender.

Ruu_Old

il gatto wrote:

If you use the stem part up the middle of the dock leaf it works. It's gooey like aloe vera. Otherwise you're just making it worse by rubbing an abrasive leaf on the sting. As far as I know, pissing on a jellyfish sting neutralises it as the sting is acidic and the pee is alkalie. But then I'm not Ray Mears, so don't come running to me with a swollen foot reeking like an old man on a whiskey bender.

Just wait for the Personal Issues thread.

Foot swollen after a jellyfish sting, me gf went to pee on it but didn't wurk, wtf do I do?!

The Hill Billy

Vinegar is good for stings & bites - something to do with the acid.

P1ss is FA use for jellyfish stings & can acutally make it more painful - something to do with the urea. Plain ol' water is better.

Scrunch up the dock leaves until the sap appears (particularly around the stem) & rub this on your nettle sting.

In all honesty - a shot of anti-histamine for the inflammation & morphine for the pain is your only man.

If yez were real boardies - yez wouldn't be out in the real world with all that dangerous flora & fauna stuff.

Rhyme

Doc leaves worked for me, squeeze the juice from the leaves and use the rest of the leaf to rub it into the sting. As for draining the lizard on a jellyfish sting, never tried it... only been stung twice.

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Apparnetly drinking tonic water before you exercise will prevent your muscles getting cramped... and its been SCIENTIFICALLY proven!!!

pighead is back....

I dont belive in these method's of healing but they are worth trying when your in pain!

Dragan

Hey Pighead,

as already said the doc leave itself contains a antihistamine, which is why it does actually work for nettle stings etc.

When you need to do is rupture the leaf though, to make sure you get the juicy goodness out so next time just fold it into a little lump and mash the **** out of it, then rub it on the sting.

manonthemoon

Piss helps too.

Whether thats your own piss or someone elses I am not sure.


Can you imagine

"Excuse me there bud, I am after stinging myself with neetles, would you find pissing on me arm?"

Mrs_Doyle

My mam told me that there was cat's gut's in chewing gum.

She also told me there was bad drugs (as opposed to the good kind :eek: )in those transfer tattoo's that came free with 3p chewing gums.

AND she convinced me that if I picked up dandelions I would piddle on myself.

However, she wasn't the only crazy parent on our road, all my friends parents told them the same things.

What is with our crazy parents? Just having a laugh at their kids stupidity?

connundrum

My Granny used to insist that tea was the best drink on a hot day.. wtf?? I've never tried it so I can only presume that it was a lie.. or maybe a joke

BTW wee-ing on a nettle sting does nothing for the pain, it just makes ya uncomfortably wet.. FACT!

brown*eyed*girl

Thanks to this thread I've realised at 31 years of age that they are actually not called Dog leaves!

Oh and my Nanny always used to say that tea is best to cool you down and I always got a bottle of Lucozade when I was sick. I got the chicken pox when I was around 10 and was surrounded by dozens of bottles of Lucozade which back then were wrapped in orange paper! Also boiled 7 up when you had an upset stomach and dry toast.

Zulu

Pighead wrote:

What about that jelly fish thing? Do you really reckon pissing on the wound is gonna heal you? I thought this was a myth for ages but my buddy Pervy Peter is always getting stung by jellyfish and he reckons that a little bit of girls piss is the only thing that will make it better.

Vinegar is the one for jellyfish stings. The whole pee thing is a sham.
(Disclamer: pee contains minute amounts of amonia, which can negate the sting, but it's such a small amount, it's probably highly unlikely.)

The Hill Billy

brown*eyed*girl wrote:

Also boiled 7 up when you had an upset stomach and dry toast.

Still your only man if you've got a dose of the pukes. Dry toast to be eaten only after you've stopped puking though.

manonthemoon

Zulu wrote:

Vinegar is the one for jellyfish stings. The whole pee thing is a sham.
(Disclamer: pee contains minute amounts of amonia, which can negate the sting, but it's such a small amount, it's probably highly unlikely.)

Piss is a great thing.

Works on foot ailments too. Athletes foot, tinia etc.

hallelujah

connundrum wrote:

My Granny used to insist that tea was the best drink on a hot day.. wtf?? I've never tried it so I can only presume that it was a lie.. or maybe a joke

BTW wee-ing on a nettle sting does nothing for the pain, it just makes ya uncomfortably wet.. FACT!

apparantly drinking tea warms you up, therefore you sweat more. The sweat then cools your body. Could be bullsh*it, I know.

Naos

A nettle leaf's 'stinger'/hair contains 3 chemicals:

- A histamine to irritate the skin, Acetycholine to develop the burning sensation and hydroxytryptamine to enhance the effect.

An anti-histamine cream works best, but doc leaves do have an effect, as said, squeeze until sap comes out..

dr.bollocko

My gran was mad for giving me a hot whiskey whenever I had a cold.


I had a lot of colds when I went over to me gran's house after that.

il gatto

Mear wrote:

A nettle leaf's 'stinger'/hair contains 3 chemicals:

- A histamine to irritate the skin, Acetycholine to develop the burning sensation and hydroxytryptamine to enhance the effect.

An anti-histamine cream works best, but doc leaves do have an effect, as said, squeeze until sap comes out..

With such insight, you're first name must be Ray:D

lazygit

brown*eyed*girl wrote:

Thanks to this thread I've realised at 31 years of age that they are actually not called Dog leaves!

Ive only ever heard them been called Dog leaves,
also we used to spit on them to get them mushy, then rub it in the sting..

MOTHERTRUCKER

I think some people are getting superstition mixed up with country remedies.
A Superstition is the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship.
examples:
Some believe that if you see a magpie, you must salute it with the words "Hello Mr. magpie, how's your wife and family?" or bad luck will follow, unless you see two magpies, which is good luck.
Mind you the last time i was at a newcastle game i spent all day saluting everyone.

It is also a common belief that breaking a mirror will bring seven years of ill fortune.
Some believe that walking under a ladder will bring bad luck.
Opening an umbrella inside the house is purported to bring bad luck.
Entering a house left leg first is sometimes thought to bring bad luck.

In America it is supposed that if one holds one's breath from the start of a tunnel to the end of it, one may make a silent wish.
Anyone ever been through the new Port tunnel i wouldn't hold my breath then again it is full of water

In some countys an owl is a bad omen, in others it is a good sign because owls make their sounds when a dangerous animal is near.

Some people believe that if you give someone a handbag as a gift, you must place a coin in the handbag, otherwise the handbag will bring the recipient bad luck. Tell that to BROWN THOMAS

Some people believe that it will bring bad luck if you give someone a knife as a gift, and to avoid the bad luck the recipient should exchange the knife for some money (even if it is just one coin), so that "technically" they "bought" the knife, rather than received it as a gift.(So judge i left the knife in his back and took his wallet )

In theatre and drama it is considered bad luck to say "Good luck" on opening night. "Break a leg" is substituted.

When producing the play Macbeth, it is considered bad luck to say the title and main character's name. Whenever one needs to mention the play's title it is appropriate to refer to it as "The Scottish Play" instead.
In the Middle East, some people believe that cutting the air with scissors brings about animosity.

In many parts of Europe, "Break a leg" is substituted with the regional colloquialism for excrement. This is a tradition that dates back to times when horses were the primary means of travel, either directly or by carriage. When a spectacle had been well reviewed or advertised, there would be many horses in front of the theatre, and thus copious amounts of horse excrement.
If a black cat crosses the road its bad luck.
If you see and pick up 1 lump of coal on the road its suppose to bring good luck.
It is a common superstition that using a red lighter is bad luck.
Doc leaves work! i agree.
P@ss works on jelly fish stings, proven fact take it from a surfer.

Some other country myths or remedies are:
snorting salty water if you have a runny nose. This burns like hell, but removes any dirt causing your nose to run.
Drinking milk before going on a nights session, lines the stomach.
Choking the chicken before a big date, takes the tension away, you seem more relaxed.
Not eating before swimming, cramps (makes sence).
No having sex before a boxing match, legs are weakened.

oh i give up!!!! can be easily confussed with myths!!!!

Zulu

MOTHERTRUCKER wrote:

P@ss works on jelly fish stings, proven fact take it from a surfer.

...or you can take it from a qualified rescue diver that it's rubbish. (see previous disclamer)

MOTHERTRUCKER

Zulu wrote:

...or you can take it from a qualified rescue diver that it's rubbish. (see previous disclamer)

i,ve been stung hundreds of times here and abroad surfing and believe me there is some relief from your urine on jelly fish stings, i'm not saying it stops altogether, or at all but it does reduce the sting to a certain extent.
The yellower the better, i know that sounds disguisting but its true.
I believe its the iodine.... don't know exactly, but i'd have many a friend back me up on this. We all carry antihistamines for it, but if your caught out its an alternative remedy

Zulu

Bring vinegar with you the next time. It'll work better, and you won't have to be weeing on each other

Tobias Greeshman

connundrum wrote:

My Granny used to insist that tea was the best drink on a hot day.. wtf?? I've never tried it so I can only presume that it was a lie.. or maybe a joke

Yeah it's just an olds wives tale really. The idea is that by drinking tea you'll sweat which will cool your body temp. But the amount of heat lost is never enough to exceed the amount your body is heated initially by the tea.

As for the dock leaf thing, as a kid I've always found it to work, as long as you get the liquid out of the leaf, that's what neutralizes the sting, and not the outside of the leaf itself.

Tar.Aldarion

Rubbing a doc leaf onto a nettle sting releases a natural antihistamine, which helps to relief the irritation. However, merely rubbing the site of the sting would also help. There are other plants that alleviate irritation such as the oil from Evening Primrose, which can be used to treat Eczema.

johnp

hallelujah wrote:

apparantly drinking tea warms you up, therefore you sweat more. The sweat then cools your body. Could be bullsh*it, I know.

The way I thought it worked was that, because the tea is hotter than body temperature that the body cools down to cool down the hot tea.
On the other side, if you drink cold drinks, the body needs to warm up the cold drink in your body to body temperature, so the body warms up.
When drinking the cold drink you will get an initial blast and it feels great, but in the end your body warms up.(makey-sensey?)

I'm sure I could have written that better

To the person who mentioned Tonic Water before exercising, I'll playing football tomorrow and tend to seize up afterwards. I'll give it a go, and if I remember I'll post my findings.

greg678

Hey it works for me, you have to squeeze it to get the juice out;)

Lurk

I saw a program in which some folks tested that piss-jellyfish theory (Mythbusters or maybe Jackass, can't remember) and they proved that it worked. So, if it was on the telly, it must be true.
There are a whole load of myths about hangover cures, but my granny's one always works: "Best to puke it all up, dear."

bonkey

MOTHERTRUCKER wrote:

Not eating before swimming, cramps (makes sence).

I saw some article recently which claimed that this one was unfounded. I'll see if I can dig it up.

<edit>
D'uh. Snopes. Shoulda guessed.

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/hourwait.asp

</edit>

ronano

Mrs_Doyle wrote:

My mam told me that there was cat's gut's in chewing gum.

She also told me there was bad drugs (as opposed to the good kind :eek: )in those transfer tattoo's that came free with 3p chewing gums.

Ok seriously wtf was up with this? why was this a lie? im going home to beat my mother

Off topic but!

John simpson is no good
chop him up for fire wood
if he does not do for that
throw him to the pussy cat

What a messed up rhyme to tell a child

Pighead

Lurk wrote:

I saw a program in which some folks tested that piss-jellyfish theory (Mythbusters or maybe Jackass, can't remember) and they proved that it worked. So, if it was on the telly, it must be true.

Even if you do believe that the wee wee will ease your pain the question remains, would you actually let somebody urinate over you. I mean what if you got stung on your lips or your gums.
Personally I'd live with the pain.

luckat

Last time I was stung vinegar gave no relief, but Afterbite (for sale in Boots) did - and Afterbite is an ammonia stick, so it's basically a stronger version of urine.

What a load of codswallop about magpies. For goodness sake, everyone knows that you should say "Go mbeannaigh Dia duit" to one magpie, and "Go mbeannaigh Dia dhaoibh" to more than one.

mad m

Its a pity doc leaves dont work on patrick murphy as he has stung many on boards.

Lurk

Pighead wrote:

Even if you do believe that the wee wee will ease your pain the question remains, would you actually let somebody urinate over you. I mean what if you got stung on your lips or your gums.
Personally I'd live with the pain.

They're not called 'golden' for nothing, ya know. Now, if someone had to sh!t on me to treat a heart attack, I might have to think twice about that.