I have a solid scientific background. As a student I studed chemistry, physics, math, geology, invertebrate paleontology. My parents were both physicians. My brother retired a few years back as the head of the engineering department at one of the country's best universities. I believe in the empirical method. I believe in evidence. I believe in changing variables to see what effects this may have.
So check this out.
When it concerns illness and cures, we tend to pooh-pooh "anecdotal information" and folk remedies. However, many folk remedies really do work.
When I was working at BALCO -- Yes, THE BALCO of steroids scandal fame -- I came across a curious article in a peer-reviewed medical journal about a folk remedy involving copper jewelry and arthritis. An old wives tale says that wearing copper jewelry helps people with arthritis. This would seem to be just so much bunkum. And certainly no licensed medical doctor would believe this if you entered his or her office and claimed this.
However, this peer-reviewed article described giving sufferers of arthritis copper bracelets to wear. There was a control group, placebos and all that, yes. The group wearing copper bracelets experienced diminished pain.
Placebo effect ? Maybe. But how about this one ?
Some months back I was listening to a discussion on National Public Radio about arthritis. The learned physicians pontificated their learned lore for about a half hour, and then the program was opened for listener comment.
An elderly lady called in, sounding almost apologetic, telling people that she knew folks usually don't believe anecdotal evidence, but that she had learned from a friend a method for diminishing arthritis pain. She had tried the method and it worked for her. And she told a friend about it and it worked for her friend, too.
And what was the method ? Taking two tablespoonsful of tequila once a day, at whatever time one wishes. Temporarily, she said, this greatly diminishes the pain of arthritis.
Reader, I know exactly where you are going with this.
Of course, you say. Alcohol. Drown the pain in alcohol. That will kill any pain.
Not so fast.
I have arthritis. There are nights when the pain in my legs is so bad I have to take pain killers. When I heard this lady's remedy, I decided to try it.
I took some tequila -- a generous swig right out of the bottle. Within 30 seconds, the pain was almost gone !
Alcohol, I thought. I should have been drinking every night before bedtime. So I tried red wine, whiskey, gin, vodka, white wine, and a few other types of liquor. None of them worked, at least not in a small quantity and not so quickly.
Here is my conclusion: there is something in the agave from which tequila is made that has the effect of ameliorating the pain of arthritis. It is absorbed sub-lingually, and very quickly. Does this sound unlikely ? Remember that it is often suggested that one put the juice of agave on burns to ameliorate pain.
And please don't tell me I cannot tell the difference between a swig of booze and a fifth of wine. The remedy sometimes, though not always, has worked for my wife. It usually works for me. She has different problems, such as a knee replacement operation that went bad.
One thing I have found, too, is that the cheapest tequila works as well or better than much more expensive brands.
So here's what I say to all arthritis sufferers: "Cheers !"
