7 DIY Treatments to Avoid the Doctor
A South American legend has it that, centuries ago, a native, suffering from high malarial fever, got lost in the Andes. Thirsty, he drank from a pool of stagnant water. The bitter taste prompted a ghastly realization: The surrounding cinchona trees, whose bark was thought to be poisonous, must have contaminated the water. He thought he’d die. But soon, his fever disappeared. Turns out he accidentally discovered quinine, still used today as an effective anti-malarial drug. Even if the legend is untrue, researchers maintain that quinine was “the most serendipitous medical discovery of the 17th century,” when Jesuit missionaries in South America, referring to it as “sacred bark,” used it to treat malarial fever.
Quinine’s a quintessential “do-it-yourself” cure, and many more have since been uncovered. Here are seven common ailments and research-backed DIY remedies. Some may require a
