ACHOO!

It's Spring!
The sky is blue. The trees are budding. Flowers are blossoming.

And POLLEN is tossed into the air for all of us to breathe.

Yes, I am talking about Hay Fever. Can anyone raise their tissues and commiserate with me?  

For years, when the days turned perfect and others ran outside to enjoy the weather, I, on the other hand, grabbed another tissue and sneezed. Eyes watering I stumbled to the medicine cabinet for meds that more or less knocked me out. Ugh!

So, ever wonder what they did in the old days? Can you imagine Matt Dillon ready for a shootout but he has to stop and blow his nose?

Or what about the Lone Ranger on his way to save the damsel in distress, but instead of sneaking up on the bad guys, goes into a sneezing fit and gives away his element of surprise.

Yes, I am a writer, and I think about these things. What did they do? They didn't even have Puffs Plus!

The term ~ hay fever ~ was first used in a London Magazine in 1825. John Bostock started the ball rolling, being a sufferer himself, and wondered what could cause the affliction in June. Others jumped in and decided it was from smelling new hay - aha or achoo - the term hay fever was born.

But it took until 1859 for Charles Blakely to discover that pollen was at the root of the problem. How did he figure that out? He sniffed a bouquet of flowers and sneezed.

The solution - many thought going to seaside resorts were the cure and it did help. Many of the well-off went to resorts at the sea and mountains especially in the USA to get away from the sneezing fits.

Some thought it to be a rich man's disease because they were the ones who could afford treatment in the resorts.

However, native Americans used biscuitroot to help alleviate symptoms. Although some medical journals say that the poor weren't afflicted with hay fever, hmmm, I bet there were some poor sneezers. They just didn't have the money to treat it with a vacation in the mountains.

Cowboys often went to the mountains during hay fever season. Others treated the nasal affliction with a powder to combat the catarrh that unfortunately contained cocaine. Whiskey was another remedy the cowboys used. Perhaps they bellied up to the Long Branch Saloon.

So enjoy the season with your Allegra and Xertec and Puff's Plus.

We've come a long way.

On the other hand, that trip to the mountains or the sea sounds like a prescription I would like to have.

Have a sneeze-free Spring.


You can find my books on Amazon ~ Patricia PacJac Carroll
My book Redeeming Lilly is free for Easter March 23-March 27  enjoy.