Main Piece: Swollen Tonsils
The following was an interview of a Participant/interviewee about a folk remedies that is passed within her community. She is marked as MS. I am marked as DM.
MS: Un remedio que es buenisimo para las anginas inflamadas. Son tres limones verdes grandes. Agarras y los pones asar en el comal son la flama que no esté muy fuerte. Cuando están bien asados los vas a partir en la mitad y vas a empezar a juntarlos en las coyunturas de tus brazos, atrás de tus oídos en like coyunturas de tus piernas, en tus tobios, y en la planta de tus pies. Y de ahí, cuando ya hiciste todo eso vas agarrar la mitad de un limon lo mas calentito que los aguantes le pone vicks vaporub en el limón y los a poner en el centro de tu cabeza. Después vas a poner los limones en el pecho y tu garganta. Amarás los limones en tu garganta y en la cabeza por un buen rato hasta que se le quite lo caliente a los limones. De ahí vas hacer un té de canela y le vas a poner tres cucharadas de miel de abeja natural. Vas a tu cama y te envuelves lo mas que puedes y vas a empezar a sudar. Con eso vas mejorar.
Translate:
MS: A remedy that is great for inflamed tonsils. You get three big green lemons. You grab and put them on the griddle and make sure the flames are not too strong. When they are well roasted you will start to place them in the joints of your arms, behind your ears, in the joints of your legs, and in the heels of your feet. And from there, when you’ve done all that you’ll grab half of a lemon as warm as you can handle put Vicks Vaporub and put them in the center of your head. Then you’re going to put more lemons on your chest and your throat. You will live the lemons in your throat and in your head until the limon are no longer warm. From there you go make a cinnamon tea and you will put three tablespoons of natural honey. You go to your bed and you wrap as much as you can and you’re going to start sweating. That’ll make you better.
Background/Context:
The participant is 52 years old. She grew up in Michoacan, Mexico. Maria, who is marked as MS, is my grandma. When I was growing up, my grandmother was the one who looked over as while my parent was at school or work. She was able to take care of us with her home remedies that she learned from her grandmother. Below is a conversation I had with MS for more background/context of the remedy, which was originally in Spanish.
DM:Why do you know this remedy?
MS: I know this because I practiced this with my kids and my husband.
DM: Why do you like this remedy?
MS: I like this remedy because I like to try what is natural before trying any medicine.
DM: Where/who did they learn it from?
MS: I learned this in my hometown Michoacan, Mexico through her grandmother and her dad’s side.
DM: Why is this remedy important to you?
MS: This remedy is inherited from my grandparents. I saw this in my family for a long time. I want my future generations to have a reliable remedy and it has been passed down in my family and I want to keep it going.
Analysis/ My Thoughts:
I know there is an abundant amount of home remedies that all take care of one symptom like swollen tonsils. The people have the power to choose which ones they will use for themselves. I have never used this home remedy, but MS said it worked for her family.