Article Surfing Archive

How did our forefathers deal with warts? The answer may surprise you. Here are more folk remedies taken from Edward F. Dolan's 'Folk Medicine Cures & Curiosities':

'There are several tricks that your family might have had you play on the dead. One calls for you
to touch a dead man's hand and then touch your wart; somehow, the deceased will carry the affliction with him into eternity.

'Another instructs you to stand quietly and respectfully at curbside as a funeral procession passes by. You may be looking appropriately respectful, but what you're really doing is praying that the corpse will be cooperative and take the wart down to the grave, there to be covered over and never able to bother you again.

'As odd as these cures are, the one that strikes me as the most fanciful of all has nothing to do with
transference. For this one, your family would have you carry a dead cat out to a cemetery at night. Then, holding the deceased by the tail, you'd swing it in a circle above your head three times. But for success, you had to be sure to be standing in the moonlight at the time,' Dolan narrated.

Other folk remedies for warts include rubbing them with fresh meat, bacon, butter, lard, pickles, onions or chicken feet. These magical cures may have worked not because they are effective but because warts usually disappear in two years when left alone. Therefore, the best treatment is to leave them alone and they'll vanish later.

"Studies have shown that two out of every three warts disappear on their own, usually within two years. Consequently, physicians usually recommend leaving warts alone unless they cause discomfort or obstruction," said the editors of 'Consumer Guide's Family Health & Medical Guide.'

If you can't wait that long and your warts greatly interfere with your social life, what treatments are available? Below are some of the techniques given by Dr. Robert R. Walther, associate clinical professor of dermatology, in 'The Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons Complete Home Medical Guide.' Before trying any of them, consult a reliable dermatologist.

Home treatment with a commercial preparation, usually a salicylic acid-lactic acid paint.

Light electrodessication, a method whereby the growth is destroyed by burns of electric current. This
method is not recommended for anyone wearing a pacemaker, and it has some potential for scarring.

Curettage, in which the growth is cut away with a curet, as instrument with a small loop-shaped cutting edge. Sometimes this is used in combination with electrodessication.

Cantharidin, a poison that causes blistering, breaking, and crusting. The preparation is painted on
the wart and covered, and it gradually breaks down the growth, leaving no scarring.

Cytotoxic agents, which are "poison" to the cells. These are used especially for warts in the genital area.

Acids, which can be used at home and are slow but effective. These require repeated, persistent
applications and have the potential for scarring.

Cryosurgery, freezing the growth with liquid nitrogen. This generally requires no anesthesia and is
fairly quick therapy. Sometimes a small white spot remains where the freezing was done.