At a time, 40-50 years ago, when most people are very traditional in thinking and superstitious, my mum was ahead of her peers. She was able to think independently instead of listening to the majority. For example, in taking western medicine, she knew that it comes with side effects. For minor illnesses like running nose, slight fever and cough, she advocates to let the body battle the virus rather than see a doctor. Needless to say, she has her own home remedy for running nose, cough and slight fever.
In stark contrast, many elderly folks believe in seeing doctor or Chinese sinseh for minor illness. I also realize that the more superstitious a person is, generally, the poorer they are. This is true in Macpherson area, where many poor folks live. During the ghost festivals, many offerings are lighted along the corridor near the void decks. This is more than what I have seen in other towns like Serangoon or Bishan.
A look at Wikipedia confirmed my mum was on the right track. As many flu, cold, running nose, cough cases are caused by virus, this mean that medication by doctor does not help. In fact, it is recommended on the internet to let the body fight against the virus.
Thanks for the great advice. Thank you, mum.
Yes, in this respect, I fully agreed. All her nagging to us about eating ice, drinking cold water, fanning our shirts, not lying on our back and many more, are her actions trying to care for us and her grandchildren. Her methods, a derivation of her many years of experience combating these illness, work at times, especially when the symptoms are mild, signs of an illness impending. Prevention better than cure philosophy. Definitely better than taking anything external to our bodies e.g. pills, when more serious illness befalls us and our immune system becomes weak.
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