A Tried and True Remedy

     Have you ever heard of Ichthammol Ointment?  It's a healing salve that's been around for at least sixty years that I know of.  How do I know this?  I've had personal experiences that have caused me to always wanna' keep Ichthammol Ointment in my medicine cabinet and never, ever, EVER run out.

     When I was still young; less than ten years old... I somehow managed to get a very large sliver imbedded in my knee-cap.  No amount of poking an' prodding seemed to be enough to work the wood out of the bone an' it was extremely painful.

     Finally, after a couple of weeks of listening to me whine an' complain, my mama took me to the doctor.  Once again, poking an' prodding was incorporated, much to my consternation.  I cannot begin to tell you how much fun it was to be the victim of various "Let's see if this will work" experiments.  I cringe at the memory.

     Well, to make a long story shorter, the final concensus was that my knee must be operated on to remove the sliver.  An xray revealed that it had gone a full inch into the bone and it was almost a quarter-inch wide.  Interestingly, I could not be admitted into the hospital for at least three weeks.

     Three WEEKS?!?  Whatever happened to emergency care?

     Enter:  Ichthammol Ointment.  My mama put it on my knee every day, changing the bandage twice a day, until I was to go into the hospital.  That day, I was all dressed an' suffering from the agony of nerves an' pain.  Having never been in a hospital, I was terrified of what to expect.  I'm sure I don't hafta' explain the pain to you.

     My dress hung at the perfect length to keep rubbing on my knee an' I was mastering the fine art of whining.  Finally, Mama told me to sit down an' she took the bandage off in order to get a better look at my wound.  Very gently, she placed her thumbs on either side of the area and pulled, only slightly.

     That's when it happened!  That piece of wood shaving leaped from my knee like it couldn't wait to escape an' landed several feet away.  The xrays had been correct; the sliver was longer than an inch an' almost a quarter-inch wide.  How it got into my knee without me being aware until later is a mystery that I will always wonder about.

      Ever since that time, I have made sure that Ichthammol Ointment was a staple in our home medical supplies.  To buy it, I have to ask the pharmacist for Black Salve, but it isn't expensive ($1.12, the last time I bought it, about a year ago) and it goes a long way.  I strongly recommend keeping some handy for any kind of wound that has or could develop infection.  In my opinion, there's absolutely nothing better for healing a wound.

     Disclaimer:  I recently heard that some people have allergic reactions to Ichthammol, although I had never heard that before.  Please be sure to read instructions, as well as the ingredients, before using.  It would also be a good idea to talk to your pharmacist or doctor about the pros and cons of using this product.

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya