Grandma Amy and her books

My Grandmother Amy, about 1916

Amy Lucille Nichols Peck became a pharmacist in 1916, a difficult career move for a woman of that era. She had been preparing to be a doctor, but the money wasn't there. So she adjusted her plans.  When Grandma died in 1972, she left me a number of her book collections.  Most interesting were the books on science.

In Gray's School and Field Book of Botany by Asa Gray, she assiduously (!) made notes in the pages and pressed leaves. A rather vague comment was on the page for "Xanthium".  Xanthium--such a lovely word! I thought. 

The definition of this delightful Xanthium is:

  A coarse and vile weed, with stout and low branching stems.
  
  Grows in barnyards and waste manured ground, about 1 to 2 inches high

  ....hooked leaves and the fruit is a burr fully 1/2" long, with 2 beaks at the apex

  ....numerous prickles with sharp bristles.

What!! What?? The Xanthium is a burr plant? The kind that catches on socks, pants, every fabric, and resists removal?

I was severely disappointed by this.  I am sure you are as well.

Please share your experiences and/or thoughts of the hated Xanthium. or any other hated plant that has been in your life.

This is Grandma's rocker. She read the Bible through every where. She maintained her pharmacist credential until her 80s. Her textbooks from 1919 were still on her bookcase when she passed. Grandma was brilliant.

 Grandma Amy Lucille Peck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the possible side effects are...

Minions

My doctor has prescribed medicines for me that sounded good until I asked "What are the side effects?" And then the list comes forward. I have looked at her, saying that if there are even 1% to 8%, I will have them. She always smiles and even giggles.

Here are some that I remember: May cause exploding diarrhea, May cause gangrene in male genitals, May cause immediate and extreme weight gain, May cause suicidal thoughts...a plethora of a whole bunch of bad side effects.

Reading some of those crazy side effects is a bit scary. Be prepared.

1. Severe blisters and peeling skin:  extensive skin loss over 30% similar to burns.

2. Toxic necrosis, death of cells spreading through the body.

3. Nerve damage, beginning in the hands and feet and later moving to the center of the middle of the body.

4. Hallucinations involving visual, smell, depression, sleep deprivation.

5. Priapism which is an unwanted, painful, persistent erection.

6. Birth defects

7. Compulsive behaviors, causing urges to perform a list of undesirable and intense excessive actions.

The list of medications and their horrible side effects is too darn long for this blog.

Lesson to be learned here is to read the information paper folded up in the box containing the possible effects. Lesson is to always discuss this with doctor and pharmacist. 

Seek possible holistic and natural aid.

Heck of a thing, isn't it? 

Taproots? What the heck?

Source

Monday’s post was an explanation about taproots.  While this topic does seem a deviation from my normal posts, this topic follows a book I am reading and an interest I have held for some time:  Healing Secrets of the Native Americans by Porter Shimer.

What did Native Americans use to battle illnesses that afflict all mankind?  What about headaches, infected injuries, liver ailments?  Kidney stones? Bad breath?  Cancer?

With a strong understanding of the plants and their medicinal advantages, early man were beyond Old World methods, some of which including bleeding the patient to remove the “evil humours”.

In 1916, my grandmother, Amy Nichols, was studying to become a pharmacist.  While I could not take her huge volumes of her studies, I did receive a book on botany that would prepare her to study the natural healing characteristics of plants. 

Source: $ 15 and it is yours!

The book?  Gray’s school and Field Biology by Asa Gray, published in 1887.

Well, now.  This book is as boring and dry as the pages upon which the information is printed.

It is WHAT was found within the pages of the tome that surprised me. 

That will be posted…later. It has changed my entire view of Amy Nichols and her sister Pearl.

Random Acts of Kindness: Nancy and $20

Random Acts of Kindness Blog Fest

Standing in a long queue at the pharmacy is always stressful.  It often seemed to Nancy as she needed medication for shingles and was at the end of an emotional tether, all the people ahead of her needed so much. 

Some needed translations into Spanish.  Some needed calls made to their doctors.  Some elderly people needed a multitude of help.

Source: COBRA Soft

Nancy needed to return home; shingles was eating up any energy she had.  But she would not give up her spot in the line, since she was the next person up, after a frail old woman finished talking with the pharmacy technician.  Nancy gritted her teeth, and then overheard the old woman speaking.

“That much?  It costs that much?”  She opened her wallet.  “I don’t have enough…I guess I will have to wait until next week to pick this prescription up…”

Source: bies

The technician explained to her that the doctor said she needed to start taking this prescription today.  The woman stepped away and said she would have to think about what she could give up today, so she could buy the medicine.

Nancy took her place in front of the technician.  Impulsively, Nancy leaned in and whispered, “How much does that woman need to pay for that prescription?”

The technician hesitated, but leaned forward and whispered, “About fifteen dollars.” 

Nancy checked her purse.  She had a five, three ones, and one twenty dollar bill.  She pulled out the twenty.  “Here…I’ll pay for her prescription, but you can’t tell her who gave the money.”

Surprised, the technician took the money.  As Nancy left the counter and walked through the store, she heard the elderly woman called over the speaker.  Then she heard the woman exclaim.  Relief was in her voice.

Nancy smiled.  She needed to hear that.

This is a true story.  I was there.  With my shingles.