Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1918 — GRIP? KNOCK IT OUT [ARTICLE]

GRIP? KNOCK IT OUT

Victim Tells of Decoction That Cured Him Quickly. Prescription Brought From France by Soldier Son Saved Him Many Day* and Night* of Misery; and a Doctor's BUI. The symptoms were unmistakable. Pains shot up my back and through my head. Sneeze followed sneeze, and I felt as weak as, but more helpless than, a kitten. When I got home from the office — and I don’t know how I managed to crawl thft-e—my whole body was one large ache. My wife rushed to meet me at the gate. “Jack’s come home on leave, dear,” she said, throwing her arms around my neck in sheer ecstasy. “He got fourteen days. Isn’t it simply glorious?” (Jack is our soldier boy.) I didn’t like to de so, but on the grounds of expediency I gently but firmly pushed her off. “Be careful, old girl,” I explained. “I’ve got it” She knew by my watery eyes what I meant by it, and slipped her arm in mine to help me up the path. I , was glad of her assistance, for I was shivering all over and felt very depressed. “Jack will be disappointed. He’s looking forward to having such a good time, and now it looks as if you.will be in all the time.” With a groan, I curled up on the couch. “Whatever are we to do?” she asked as she brought my slippers. ‘Tve nothing in the house and the shops are all closed. Goodness knows where we can find a doctor, and poor Jack will soon be back. He’s just run round to have a peep at Gwen.” _ The situation was certainly desperate. My head seemed to be bursting, and so did my heart This was a poor sort of welcome to give to our sonnle after years of absence, and I will freely own that by this time something else as well as Influenza was responsible for my watery eyes.

“Yes, dad,” said Jack half an hour later as he sat by my bed, “a month ago I thought some of us were in for a terrible time. We never had such a drenching and couldn’t get a blessed bit of clothing dry. We ached all over. In fact, we were just about like you. It was rotten luck, too, for we missed some of the fun. But just when we were at our worst, a French peasant told us he knew of something that would soon put us right. He told us he had two herbs in his garden which he believed would save half the world if they were only used. Elder blossom and peppermint, those were the two. “Well, he dropped a handful of each in a jug and made a strong Infusion by pouring a pint and a half of boiling wafer over them, just as I have done. He let it steep for about half an hour on the hob, then strained and sweetened it, and made us drink it as hot as we could stand it. He simply soaked us with it, but the next day we were like new men.

“What, do you say you can hardly believe It? Well, here comes mother with a Jugful. It was lucky I had some with me, and I’ll take good care never to be without it. Now take a good swig of this. It’s quite nice. Then cover up and we’ll pile on the clothes ” Sooner than I could have believed, the perspiration was rolling down my face In grand style. Later on I emptied the jug and fell into a deep, refreshing sleep. The next morning the feeling of ennui had passed away. My head , was clearer, and I could even make a Joke. The day after I was able to sit up, and Pve never looked back since. Now this is not a fairy tale, but a sober fact, and If all who are victims of the influenza fiend would try this magic potion they would soon be breathing benedictions on the head of that unknown peasant In Flanders. It Is so harmless that you cannot use it amiss, and so effectual that you cannot give it in vain.—Buffalo Express.