Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Published on: 02/14/13 12:46 PM

Feature: All Those Tall Tales!

Tall Tales

Some beliefs are handed down by word of mouth, some come down the generations and soon, they become gospel truth. Sheila Kumar busts the myths associated with them

You know the stories we are talking about. Glimpsing a black cat and anticipating bad luck. Throwing salt over your shoulder every time you spill some. Never lending a friend a safety pin. The most rational of people hold fast to some astoundingly vague superstitions and beliefs, the origins of which have been shrouded by the mists of time, de-mystifies ten beliefs…

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Really? No, I’m afraid not. An apple is packed with nutrients and, like most fruit, is good for you. But a one-stop solution to all health problems it is not. Neither will an apple a day keep ailments away.
So, bite into a Golden or a Delicious and relish it but do not expect it to do magic.

You will catch a cold if you get wet. You do not catch a cold by being out in wet or cold weather. Nine times out of ten, you catch a cold from an infected person in your vicinity. Of course, your general resistance could well be lowered when you are wet or chilled. So, the next time you
get caught in a downpour, just relax and enjoy the moment, without anticipating a cold or the flu.

Butter on burns makes them heal faster.

This one is an old wives’ or granny’s tale. In fact, doctors specify that butter really should not be smeared on burns. It’s vital to clean the area (which obviously means no foreign substance like butter) and then, apply cold water to reduce pain and inflammation. But yes, butter on chapped lips works wonders!

Lack of sleep translates to bags under the eyes.

Okay, here is the truth: it’s ageing that does it, not a dearth of sleep. Other factors that cause bags under the eyes are heredity, allergies, exposure and dry skin. Lack of sleep will definitely show up in your general well-being, but not specifically as bags under the eyes.

Talking to plants make them thrive.

We are all for you singing a ditty or two to the potted palm in your garden or the fuchsia on your balcony but this communicating-with-plants story originated from an old Egyptian fable that believed trees and plants had souls that needed tending to. People who talk to their plants or sing
to them are in all probability taking very good care of them. So naturally the plants will thrive!

Raw steak for a black eye, frozen peas on a swelling.

Right, they will calm the place down, soothe it even, because cold inhibits swelling as it narrows the arteries and restricts the blood flow. But help it heal faster? That they cannot do. So, you can safely save the meat for your dinner, the peas for paneer mattar.

Copper rings and bangles stave off arthritis.

No, they don’t. There is absolutely no evidence that copper has any effect, beneficial or baneful, on any disease. It’s the old placebo effect… people believe it will help, so they feel good about wearing copper next to the skin, and in turn, are convinced they are feeling good because the copper has worked.

Reading in bad light causes permanent damage to the eyes.

We are sorry to act as a bicon-breaker but the truth is, while reading in good light definitely eases strain on the eyes, poor lighting will not harm your eyes. Yes that’s right, your eyes adjust to the quantity of light they receive, and soon you will read as well in poor light as you would in better lighting.

Fat people tend to be jolly fellows and gals.

Not at all, when you think of it. Overweight people are usually unhappy in varying degrees, mostly about their weight accumulation. Some overweight people suffer from an underactive thyroid and that actually makes them sluggish in gait and behaviour… not jolly at all, when you come to think of it.

Uni-brow, high forehead, big eyes = intelligence.

It isn’t that glib. It’s all about heredity, of course, the shape and height of the forehead, the brow, the eyes, the face. Studies have shown that man today does have a longer brow and a larger head than his caveman ancestor but that has evolution as its reason. You could be a person of uncommon
intelligence and yet have inherited your father’s smallish eyes and mother’s narrow forehead.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/tall-tales/article2592727.ece?css=print

This ran in THE HINDU of 2 Nov 2011.

 

beliefsFeatureFeaturesold wives talessuperstitionstall tales

Sheila Kumar • February 14, 2013


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