Daisy the Horse apparently found relief from high blood pressure through blood-letting as purportedly did humans, including my grandmother, Sanna (Susan) Kangas. My father said his mother had the “kuppu” (cupping) woman come into the family sauna on Kangas Road with her from time to time. There, the kuppu woman would open one of my grandmother’s smaller veins and drain some blood out, into a hollowed-out cow’s horn. My grandmother claimed, in Finnish, that she felt like a million dollars after such a treatment. No leeches needed.
Yes I did. On diuretics, I think you are right. Blood letting was thought to remove toxins. In my grandmother's case it was used to treat her arthritis. BP is dependent on many factors, in addition to fluid intake and renal function. Vessell tone and salt intake also. The release hormones like aldosterone and epinephrine and stress.
I wonder if these folk medicine practitioners in the 30s knew about diuretics. I’m sure some herbalists must have. But from what my father said, in New Ipswich the old Finns relied on massage, sauna, and bloodletting. Their diet probably didn’t help matters either.
Not a good way to lower bp. A diuretic would be better. My grandmother also underwent such blood letting. It's not the blood volume that is the problem, it is fluid retention. I've lectured to med students on this issue, won't give a lecture here but I do have a horse story. A friend asked me to adopt the horse (Chico) of a neighbor who died. Chico was 28 and had arthritis, couldn't ridden anymore. I used an electric wire to enclose my field. Since he limped (one leg was worse than the other) I didn't think he would go far. One day I get a call from my local convenience a mile down the road saying my horse was there looking for handouts. I think he was looking for that sweet molasses horse mix. Walked him home, bought some of that mix, scolded him whenever I saw him approach the wire. Eventually I took the wire down and he stayed on my property without any further scolding.
He lived another 10 yrs. Found him lying under a willow. That is where I buried him.
Daisy the Horse apparently found relief from high blood pressure through blood-letting as purportedly did humans, including my grandmother, Sanna (Susan) Kangas. My father said his mother had the “kuppu” (cupping) woman come into the family sauna on Kangas Road with her from time to time. There, the kuppu woman would open one of my grandmother’s smaller veins and drain some blood out, into a hollowed-out cow’s horn. My grandmother claimed, in Finnish, that she felt like a million dollars after such a treatment. No leeches needed.
Did you keep a good supply of that molasses mash on hand for Chico?
Yes I did. On diuretics, I think you are right. Blood letting was thought to remove toxins. In my grandmother's case it was used to treat her arthritis. BP is dependent on many factors, in addition to fluid intake and renal function. Vessell tone and salt intake also. The release hormones like aldosterone and epinephrine and stress.
That’s probably a factor here as I believe my grandmother also had arthritis and morbid obesity.
I wonder if these folk medicine practitioners in the 30s knew about diuretics. I’m sure some herbalists must have. But from what my father said, in New Ipswich the old Finns relied on massage, sauna, and bloodletting. Their diet probably didn’t help matters either.
Not a good way to lower bp. A diuretic would be better. My grandmother also underwent such blood letting. It's not the blood volume that is the problem, it is fluid retention. I've lectured to med students on this issue, won't give a lecture here but I do have a horse story. A friend asked me to adopt the horse (Chico) of a neighbor who died. Chico was 28 and had arthritis, couldn't ridden anymore. I used an electric wire to enclose my field. Since he limped (one leg was worse than the other) I didn't think he would go far. One day I get a call from my local convenience a mile down the road saying my horse was there looking for handouts. I think he was looking for that sweet molasses horse mix. Walked him home, bought some of that mix, scolded him whenever I saw him approach the wire. Eventually I took the wire down and he stayed on my property without any further scolding.
He lived another 10 yrs. Found him lying under a willow. That is where I buried him.