Still thinking of how different things were when I was young, I remembered that we used to have a really, really tiny bottle of olive oil. It was literally no more than about 3 inches high, a very narrow traditional bottle shape with a tiny cork in its tiny neck.
It was nothing like the massive litre bottles we have in our kitchen these days!!
It was not for cooking with, or putting on our salads, no it lived in the medicine cupboard and only came out for the treatment of earache.
This precious liquid was dripped onto a heated teaspoon, in order to warm the oil, then into this so expensive elixir of healing a small wad of cotton wool was put until all the warm oil was absorbed. The oil infused cotton wool was then placed into the offending, aching ear.
And oh the bliss of that soothing warmth.
Now I am not suggesting you try this at home, it is not something I do these days, but I wonder what was so efficacious about this treatment, was it:-
· The warmth, heat is often soothing for many ailments.
· The placebo effect, sugar coated chocolate drops really do work.
· The detailed ritual of administration, time and attention make a difference.
You probably won’t find the definitive answer in the NICE guidelines!!!
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