I haven't checked this out yet, but find it very interesting if it is true!
Onions ________________________________ In 1919, when the flu killed 40 million people, there was this doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it, and many died.
The doctor came upon this one farmer, and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.
Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work.... Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.
Now there is a P. S. to this.... I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:
Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmers story.... But, I do know that I contacted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar.....placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs.... Sure enough it happened just like that.... The onion was a mess, and I began to feel better.
Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.
This is the other note.
Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu's and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been SITTING FOR A TIME AFTER it has been cut open!
Posted by AuntyLynn (Member # 35938) on :
Very interesting!
Reminds me of the mideival "preventive" technique to wear a garland of garlic cloves around one's neck!
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
quote: The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion.
You cannot see virus particles with a regular microscope. You need an electron microscope!
Onions do not "collect" bacteria or viruses.
[ 08-30-2012, 08:18 PM: Message edited by: Carol in PA ]
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I always wondered if it worked. Does it stink??
I do know that you're not supposed to put them in the refrigerator. That is something I used to do since I ate them very rarely.
--interesting, Carol!
Posted by Rivendell (Member # 19922) on :
I've heard of old-time herbalists placing slices of onions over infected skin lesions and "drawing"out the poison.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
See this page from snopes.com .... the quote is identical!
I've heard of old-timers placing slightly cooked onions on someone's chest when they had pneumonia or bronchits.
SOOO... 100 yrs old!
Posted by Harmony (Member # 32424) on :
why not put onions in the fridge (cut and in glass with lid)
I do it all the time since I don't always eat a whole one...
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Harmony, I read on that snopes page that it was considered unlucky to have a cut onion in the house.
Hah...lots of things were considered unlucky. But I never heard of that until now, and I have no qualms about wrapping a cut onion with Saran Wrap to store in the fridge.
Lymetoo, do you mean that you're not supposed to store whole onions in the fridge? I've read that about raw potatoes, but not onions.
Posted by LFick39 (Member # 35667) on :
Ok, Carol got the real story... Or lack thereof from Snopes. Thanks for doing my research!
Too bad, I really wanted this to be true... Anything to keep us healthy during flu season!
Posted by MannaMe (Member # 33330) on :
Hey, do an experiment - cut an onion and put it on your nightstand when you get a cold.... see what, if anything, happens to the onion.
My dad says how his mom made her children eat fried onion sandwiches when they had colds. To this day he doesn't care much for onions!