“Turn the Stove-eye on High”
A few years ago my father developed a serious toothache. He was in pain. His face had swollen. He was unable to eat, sleep, work at his job, or do anything. He was miserable. He went to see his dentist. The dentist determined the problem was an abscessed molar. The tooth needed to be extracted as soon as possible. However, because of scheduling problems, the surgery would need to be delayed for several days. In the meantime, the dentist prescribed some pain medications, telling him to do the best he could until the tooth could be removed.
An uncle of mine called in order to speak to my father on the phone. My mother answered the phone. When my uncle asked to speak with my father she told him about the toothache and how miserable my father was. My uncle told her to put my father on the phone. When he came to the phone my uncle said “I hear you’ve got a toothache. Let me tell you how to get rid of it. Go into the kitchen. Turn the water faucets on in the sink, allowing the water to get lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. Lukewarm. Then you need to go to the electric range and turn one of the front stove-eyes on high. Stand in front of the stove until the eye turns red. When it is good and red, go back to the sink and get a glass of lukewarm water. Carry the glass back to the stove. When you get back to the stove you need to get a mouthful of the lukewarm water. Do not swallow the water. Hold it in your mouth. Then you need to climb up on the stove and sit down on the red hot eye. Sit there until the water in your mouth boils. When it boils, you will not have to suffer with the toothache anymore.” Before my father could respond, my uncle hung up the phone.
A few years passed. My father called on the phone for my uncle. My aunt answered. She told my father that my uncle had a toothache and was unable to come to the phone. However, my father insisted on speaking with him. When my uncle got to the phone, my father said “I hear you’ve got a toothache. Let me tell you how to get rid of it.” At that moment my uncle hung up the phone; saying a few choice words, of course.
Funny thing is, whenever I have suggested this remedy to others, I have heard a few choice words myself. Why, just the other day I suggested the remedy to a friend of mine that was experiencing a terrible sinus infection. I figured if he let the water boil the steam buildup just might relieve the pressure in his head. I do not think he liked my suggestion.