Old time remedy has odd reason for fighting colds and flu

I had to chuckle when I read this one...

There's an herb used in Italian cuisine called asafetida - when cooked it has an onion-like flavor. Some believe that when added to lentils or beans it will reduce flatulence.

But back in the early days of the 20th century, mothers used it to prevent children from colds and flu. They tied it in a bag and hung it on the children like a necklace. And it smelled so bad that no one wanted to come near them - thus cutting down on the transmission of colds and flu.

I don't suppose that's why they used it - they probably thought that breathing the herb kept the kids well. And maybe it did - who is to prove otherwise?

On that same note, my Grandmother said that when she was a young child in school (in the late 1890's and early 1900's) the Italian children came to school with garlic around their necks. Since I had never heard of asafetida, I suppose it doesn't grow around here, and that's why they used garlic instead.

The result of going to school with all those "garlicky" children was that for the rest of her life, my Grandmother didn't want anything to do with garlic. I don't think she even had it in the house.

And if you think about it, who could blame her? Think of a one room school-house with a wood stove, and all those wet, dirty coats drying around it. Kids weren't bathed daily in those days, either, so it must have been ripe! The smell of garlic was probably forever connected in her mind with the smell of that school room.