I thought it was eredicated, but lately, the polio virus, that terrible virus that caused paralysis and imobility in children , was mentioned in the news as being active again in certain areas.
These news took me back to a period in my childhood when everyday was a day of panic for parents and tragedy for this or that kid who got the virus. Kids, like me, who were still fortunate not to have got it, were wearing garlic around their neck.
To this day, garlic (Allium satum), closely related to onion, is not just a matter of superstition and folklore, but considered as having high medicinal properties: anti- microbial, anti- viral, anti- inflammatory, warding off chronic disease.
Over the years, some of the properties have been researched showing good results, most of them, though, not scientifically based, have been passed on from generation to generation, from culture to culture bringing us relief and healing along the way.
We keep garlic in our kichen to flavor with it our dishes. As it does miracles to our cooking, we believe it also does miracles to our health .
I use a lot of garlic -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDelete'The more, the better' , Christine. Even the strong odour doesn't put us off, on the contrary.
DeleteI went to junior high and high school with a girl who had polio when she was young. We became close friends during those years. It's such a tragic thing.
ReplyDeleteWe enjoy garlic in our cooking and I will say that when either of us is not feeling well, we do increase the amount that I normally put in our food.
Still praying, dear Duta. xx
It was quite a tragedy for those children who caught the polio virus.
DeleteGarlic is to me both health and flavor.
Thanks Dianna for the continuous praying!
I love garlic, never too much for me. And I remember the fear of polio, and children living for years in an iron lung. Bad old days, so sorry it's not gone.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the bad things, never really leave; they just go dormant.
DeleteAs for garlic, it's a dominant food item in my kitchen.
I hadn't heard about polio being back. That's terrible.
ReplyDeleteGarlic is good all around!
It doesn''t say it's back; just that in certain places it seems to have become active, and measures should be taken against its spreading.
DeleteYes, garlic is our favorite in the kitchen and elsewhere.
I had a great aunt who had polio as a child. It stunned her growth and she became a hunchback. I hope it gets eradicated soon. I use garlic lots. Janice
ReplyDeletePolio was so scary. We have a friend who lived in an isolated community on the coast of Quebec. As a child, she caught polio from a parcel send into the community. She was away from her home for several years, receiving what treatment there was at that time. More than 70 years later, she still is affected by that dread disease.
ReplyDeleteI pray we don’t see a return of that terrible disease.
Indeed, polio 's a dreadful disease that affects people for their entire life. Hopefully, vaccines and treatments have much improved nowadays.
DeleteI love garlic and knowing its health benefits is an added bonus. Last week I cleaned the garlic we grew - 24 beautiful fat heads - and I hope to plant more next year.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's cousin contracted polio as a young child. It's a dreadful disease. Some parents are reluctant to immunize their children these days, but they don't know of the terrible effects these diseases can have.
I love even the sight of garlic (bulbs, clovers) not only its flavor and taste.
DeleteRegarding the terrible polio virus, I suppose vaccines and treatments nowadays, are perhaps, much better than in the past.
I remember being scared of getting polio as a small kid and then we had to get vaccinated. Eventually I just forgot about it. We eat lots of garlic in our food, I love it. I have a friend who eats a clove when he is sick, he said it does help him recover.
ReplyDeleteI too remember fear of the virus and of the vaccine in childhood. As a commenter above has said, garlic is never too much.
DeletePolio is a dreadful disease. I do hope this outbreak can be cured.
ReplyDeleteYay for garlic. I love it and use lots. I am v fond of black garlic too.
I hope it never gets to an outbreak and is 'killed' in its initial stage.
DeleteNever saw black garlic; not even heard about it before.
I can remember (vaguely) the pre-vaccine years and public swimming pools being closed in August due to fear of children getting polio. I can also remember lining up in my elementary school with all the other students to get the jab. I had never heard of wearing garlic, at least in my native New York City. We had a polio outbreak in a part of New York State last year. I doubt it will ever be eradicated, as was once the hope.
ReplyDeleteGarlic was put in a sachet and worn around the neck day and night. Perhaps it was specific of East Europe (I come from Romania). What else in addition to the vaccine, could people do for their kids? They had great belief in garlic.
DeleteDuta, I am from the time when we carried camphor wrapped in gauze and pinned to our underwear. I remember that as a teacher I vaccinated the students with Sabin Oral. I use garlic in meals.
ReplyDeleteCamphor?! I had that too, only I can't remember what it was for. Was it for the polio virus too?
ReplyDeleteI have heard that there are some cases of polio found. Garlic is really good for you. Tastes good too.
ReplyDeleteGarlic is good for all of us, Sandie. Even its specific, strong odour, doesn't put us off from its culinary and health benefits.
DeleteWe love garlic dearly! My husband even takes concentrated garlic pills daily..and I love esp. black garlic!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen or had black garlic. I suppose it's good for you, if you love to eat it.
DeleteIt seems your husband is taking good care of his health. Good for him!
Not a nice disease is Polio and I hadn't heard about it coming forth again. We used to take some sort of medicine so not to get it long ago.
ReplyDeleteLove garlic and used it often in cooking. It was something my mother never did use, but that would be of her generation as back in those days it was two baked dinners a week, meat with dinner and 5 veggies everyday...very simple meals back then.
Ther's only the vaccine for it; no medication.
DeleteGarlic is a matter of ancient home remedies, and is said to be helpful.
By not using garlic in cooking, your Mom's generation missed a great food item; pity!
I didn't know about the garlic to ward off polio. Yes, It is upsetting how many young families don't want to vaccinate their children. I know they have their reasons. Still, Polio is scary.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the older I get the more I use garlic. Of course, I always love a little garlic powder on my popcorn.
Vaccine was and is beneicial against the polio virus.
DeleteAdding garlic in whatever fresh form is a healthy and tasty food addition.
Garlic was not a part of our daily food in Sweden during the polio epidemic there or I would probably have worn them too. Both my cousin and my uncle who lived in a house next to ours got polio. They survived, but it made their lives very challenging.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine the hard, challenging life of your uncle and cousin in Sweden, who were unfortunate to get the dreadful polio disease. You were among the lucky to escape the epidemic.
DeleteDanny, my husband, cooks with garlic frequently and we both enjoy the flavor immensely. It does have great medicinal properties, too.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Duta!
Danny knows what good is; it's called garlic. Garlic offers flavor to cooking and wellness to life.
DeleteI've never worn it around my neck but I love garlic a lot. I keep thinking I should grow it. Maybe I'll plant some this fall.
ReplyDeleteDo that, Jeanie! Growing your own, fresh garlic, or both its culinary and health benefits, will give you high satifaction.
DeleteI'd rather just get the vaccine because I loathe garlic.
ReplyDelete'Loathe' is a rather heavy word, but it's your right to express what you feel about garlic.
DeleteMay there not be any polio virus around , so that we don't need either vaccine or garlic!
Stopping by to say thank you for your kind thoughts and condolences on Eddies passing.
ReplyDeleteI do hope to get back to regular blogging soon.
In the meantime, my thanks again to you.
All the best Jan
PS I like to use garlic in some recipes.
Take your time, Jan! You need some rest and to reconsider things after your loss of Eddie.
DeleteBlogging, and we blogging friends, will be here for you.
Interesting post, Duta. We've got a lot of anti-vaxxers over here which means the things we thought were eliminated in this country are cropping up again.
ReplyDeleteSandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Things like vaccines, intended for masses, are a bit like the russian roulette - good for some, bad for others.
DeleteThe polio vaccine saved some of the children, others , unfortunately got the paralysis.
We eat a lot of garlic, we love it! and it's thought to be good for keeping colds away, I think most of these old remedies are based on being tried with positive results - recently they found that elderberry, which can be made into a sore throat cordial, has properties that will help with respiratory illnesses for example.
ReplyDeleteCorrect, Betty! Old remedies are based on trial of decades, so no point in ignoring them and their efficacity.
DeleteYo creo que si, y si no hace milagros por lo menos ayuda a mantenerse sano, sobre todo el ajo que es uno de los ingredientes más utilizado en la cocina española. Y si se come crudo está más que demostrado que es antibacteriano, de hecho ya se usaba en la primera guerra mundial, cuando faltaban medicinas para untarlo sobre las heridas porque esa antiséptico.
ReplyDeleteUn fuerte abrazo, amiga Duta.
I'm glad of the way you think about garlic, Manuel. Most of the commenters here have the same opinion as you.
DeleteIts beneficial properties have been proved along the years , and encouraged people to constantly make use of them.
I remember well the polio fear in my childhood. One of my little friends died at the age of 10, there were many others in Bonn (Germany) where I lived. Shortly later a vaccine came out and we got all vaccinated. Horrible disease ! It's funny that Garlic is used for so many things, even to keep Dracula away !
ReplyDeleteYes, it caused great fear among kids and parents alike. The vaccine reduced the panic, and gave some hope.
DeleteGarlic is a very versatile, beloved item!
I don't know how people can cook without garlic. I use it alot. I've known a few kids from my childhood that wore braces on a leg because of polio. I get rather upset when hear some anti-vaxxer say they're not getting their child vaccinated. Makes me crazy, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised that it's rearing it's ugly head again.
ReplyDeleteGarlic is such a wonderful culinary item! Its health benefits are a great gift to our body and mind!
DeleteWe love garlic and grow it in our garden I knew it was healthy but not that it helped against polio It is a terrible disease and more people don't vaccinate so it has a chance to go around again
ReplyDeleteIn the early 1950s, when I was in primary school, the polio epidemic hit Australia. I din't know about children who were in bed for years, but I do remember some survivors years later walking on crutches.
ReplyDeleteSo, it was worldwide; even Australia was hit.
DeleteTerrible virus, destroying young lives!
Wow...
ReplyDeleteYes, Wow.....
Delete