Today's topic: chilblains. I had heard this word before (spoken by a friend quoting an elderly aunt), but had no clue what it meant.
From The Loving Cup 1.12 Art Thomas asks his brother Music to go to the fair to buy a potion for Art's "girlfriend", Edie.
"'Aunt Edie have need of some potion for her blains. She d'say thur be an old woman d'ave a stall there--called Widow Crow. She have this potion Edie say she need, so you can get it for she, stead of me.' ... 'Tes only for the blains. Ye smooth it on and it cools 'em, stops the springeing.' ... 'The potion's sixpence,' said Art. 'Edie say tis very small in bottle but it cool her blains wonderful.'"
Music agrees to go and the conversation with Widow Crow is yields the ingredients and mode of action:
'D'you know what be in it?' the widow said in a low voice. 'Shall I tell you?' 'I don't mind,' said Music bravely. 'Frogs.' 'Frogs?' 'Yes. Frogs are red-blooded creatures like you and me. But cold. See that, my dear? Cold. Cold to cool the blains. It is all in here. Frog spittle, frog sperm, frog juice, frog's eggs. And resin and balsam to bind. Lay it cool upon the blains and they'll disappear--just like magic. You see!'"
According to http://www.urbandictionary.com/define..., the "springeing" is a sharp shooting pain followed by a brief intake of breath through puckered lips. Ohh my legs are springeing." Certainly something that sounds unpleasant!
It turns out that chilblains are a real thing and an expression still used today. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-co... "Chilblains (CHILL-blayns) are the painful inflammation of small blood vessels in your skin that occur in response to sudden warming from cold temperatures. Also known as pernio, chilblains can cause itching, red patches, swelling and blistering on extremities, such as on your toes, fingers, ears and nose....Chilblains usually clear up within one to three weeks, though they may recur seasonally for years. Treatments typically consist of lotions and medication."
All claims of the potion containing frogs aside, I expect that if Widow Crow is being honest, the "resin and basalm" were the real active ingredients at work here. She sold a soothing, impressive smelling lotion (imagine pine trees).
From The Loving Cup 1.12
Art Thomas asks his brother Music to go to the fair to buy a potion for Art's "girlfriend", Edie.
"'Aunt Edie have need of some potion for her blains. She d'say thur be an old woman d'ave a stall there--called Widow Crow. She have this potion Edie say she need, so you can get it for she, stead of me.'
...
'Tes only for the blains. Ye smooth it on and it cools 'em, stops the springeing.'
...
'The potion's sixpence,' said Art. 'Edie say tis very small in bottle but it cool her blains wonderful.'"
Music agrees to go and the conversation with Widow Crow is yields the ingredients and mode of action:
'D'you know what be in it?' the widow said in a low voice. 'Shall I tell you?'
'I don't mind,' said Music bravely.
'Frogs.'
'Frogs?'
'Yes. Frogs are red-blooded creatures like you and me. But cold. See that, my dear? Cold. Cold to cool the blains. It is all in here. Frog spittle, frog sperm, frog juice, frog's eggs. And resin and balsam to bind. Lay it cool upon the blains and they'll disappear--just like magic. You see!'"
According to http://www.urbandictionary.com/define..., the "springeing" is a sharp shooting pain followed by a brief intake of breath through puckered lips. Ohh my legs are springeing."
Certainly something that sounds unpleasant!
It turns out that chilblains are a real thing and an expression still used today. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-co...
"Chilblains (CHILL-blayns) are the painful inflammation of small blood vessels in your skin that occur in response to sudden warming from cold temperatures. Also known as pernio, chilblains can cause itching, red patches, swelling and blistering on extremities, such as on your toes, fingers, ears and nose....Chilblains usually clear up within one to three weeks, though they may recur seasonally for years. Treatments typically consist of lotions and medication."
All claims of the potion containing frogs aside, I expect that if Widow Crow is being honest, the "resin and basalm" were the real active ingredients at work here. She sold a soothing, impressive smelling lotion (imagine pine trees).