Tag: debate

Recently, my 4-year old grandson complained of a big, red welp on the back of his calf. It was result of a mosquito bite, so I recommended to my wife that she put some salve on it to soothe the itch.

I discovered that I walked into a hornet’s nest with that suggestion.

“What, are you, 90 years old?” she asked. “No one says ‘salve’ any more. It’s ‘cream’ today.”

I wasn’t about to give in so easily.

“My grandmother put salve on every itch and wound I had as a kid,” I protested. “When I had a cold, she would even smear some Vicks VapoRub on my chest. That was the go-to salve in our family.”

The debate goes on today. Cream on one side. Salve on the other. I definitely remain on Team Salve.

So, I pointed her to the definitive statement on salve: The Andy Griffith Show and a wonderful episode about a miracle salve and how it entangled Barney Fife.

I offer it to you in this post for both educational and entertainment purposes.

Enjoy.