December 19th, 2010 | 
Author: 
Most of us in the modern world use prescription and over-the-counter medications to solve our ailments. This gets expensive quickly, of course. It wasn’t all that long ago that people used folk medicines and home remedies to get relief. Some folk remedies are still popular today, but others should definitely be left in the past because they are dangerous. Here are three home remedies you don’t ever want to use.
#1: Killing Head Lice With Kerosene
It sounds crazy to us now, but back in the day people would use a small amount of kerosene to kill head lice in children. They would actually comb this through their children’s hair! Sure, it killed the lice, but it was horribly dangerous.
Kerosene is of course flammable, which is one danger of using this remedy. Worse, it’s also very toxic, and it absorbs easily through the skin. This is one home remedy that was far worse than the condition it was meant to treat. At least head lice don’t kill you.
#2: Treating Stomach Troubles With “Azarcon” Or “Greta”
Years ago, there were two powders that were often used to treat stomach and intestinal ailments, especially in Mexican and Mexican-American communities. These powders, unfortunately, were comprised of nearly 100% pure lead!
Lead poisoning can cause serious illness or even death. Never, ever take Azarcon or Greta for any ailment. Believe it or not, you can still sometimes find these powders available for purchase.
#3: Smearing Butter On Burns
When you smear butter on a fresh burn, you aren’t helping. It may seem like you are because it makes the pain lessen. But you are contaminating the burn site when you do this. Bacteria loves the butter and will grow quickly. You’re actually encouraging the burn to become infected with this home remedy.
You have probably learned to respect your elders; most of us have. Still, be careful when one of your elders recommends their tried and true “home remedies.” Sometimes these can actually be dangerous! We learn more as a society with each passing year, especially when it comes to the field of medicine. Therefore, older isn’t always wiser in this case. A good place to search for information anytime you’re uncertain as to its safety is online. There are plenty of free web sites offering medical advice through the help of licensed physicians and other published articles that may answer the very questions that were on your mind. Take full advantage of these and always tread carefully.
Posted in Health Care | 
Tags: Ailment, American Communities, Azarcon, Bacteria, Folk Remedies, Head Lice, Intestinal Ailments, Kerosene