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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 04/15/2005 : 12:12:46 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
quote:
Originally posted by Kil
And you are absolutely correct. People will gobble up “natural” stuff just because they equate “natural” with safe.
Well, thanks to filthy's presence here on the SFN, I know just where to go for all my dangerous-but-all-natural venomous snake needs, just in case a demonstration of "natural does not equal safe" is necessary.
One would think that these "natural" proponents have never come into contact with poison ivy, or ever heard of Socrates.
Wanna hot snake? I got a couple I'll give you. I guarentee that they'll make your life a lot more interesting, or at least exciting.... 
It's entirely true; people don't think. They will pour any nostrum at all into themselves without any more than the word of some huckster that it is good for them because it is 'natural.' Moose shit is natural too, but I don't see anyone lining up for a refined dose of it, whatever it's miraculous properties.
Back when I was a child, my grandmother used to make us drink quanities of sassafras tea each spring. She was convinced that it would 'thin the blood' and get us ready for summer. And I have read of people that would eat a few leaves of poison ivy to build up an immunity to it. Dunno if any of this works or not. Probably not.
Snake oil and it's salesmen yet live, and will for as long as Homo sap is upon the earth.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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| Edited by - filthy on 04/15/2005 12:14:29 |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2005 : 12:35:22 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Kil
And yes, laws should be passed that restrict cell phone use while driving. It is an unreasonable risk.
There's a law against it, here. Not too effective; but there is. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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GeeMack
SFN Regular
USA
1093 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2005 : 20:07:18 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
Back when I was a child, my grandmother used to make us drink quanities of sassafras tea each spring. She was convinced that it would 'thin the blood' and get us ready for summer. And I have read of people that would eat a few leaves of poison ivy to build up an immunity to it. Dunno if any of this works or not. Probably not.
Granny's all natural tonic may have been a greater danger than she knew. Sassafras was once commonly used to brew a flavorful tea and as one of the primary flavoring ingredients in root beer. It contains high amounts of safrole, a compound which was banned by the FDA in the 1960's because it was shown to cause cancer in rats and mice.
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2005 : 02:24:22 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by GeeMack
quote:
Originally posted by filthy
Back when I was a child, my grandmother used to make us drink quanities of sassafras tea each spring. She was convinced that it would 'thin the blood' and get us ready for summer. And I have read of people that would eat a few leaves of poison ivy to build up an immunity to it. Dunno if any of this works or not. Probably not.
Granny's all natural tonic may have been a greater danger than she knew. Sassafras was once commonly used to brew a flavorful tea and as one of the primary flavoring ingredients in root beer. It contains high amounts of safrole, a compound which was banned by the FDA in the 1960's because it was shown to cause cancer in rats and mice.
Didn't know that. Thanks...
These teas were quite common, at least in the South. I remember that you could buy the ground root chips for brewing at many grocery stores. We used to collect our own.
Even today, I'll chew a bit of sass when I find some in the field. I find it refreshing, although a little goes a long way.
It's dried leaves are what the cajun filet' seasoning is made from.
Sass oddity: it has three, different shapes of leaves, and all will be found on the same plant.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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