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In
verification of this bit of Trew family history, we have Grandma's
crock container and two boxes of Crazy Water Crystals among our
heirlooms. The crock jug holds about two gallons of water, has a
good lid and a brass spigot. The label identifies the container
as a "Radium Ore Revigerator" patent #302621, made in San Francisco,
Calif.
Labels on the boxes of crystals, (small whitish flakes), state:
Mix one teaspoon of crystals with twenty ounces of tap water and
drink daily "as can be aggreeably tolerated." Ingredients consist
of sodium sulphate, magnesium sulphate, sodium chloride, potassium
chloride and sodium carbonate. These ingredients plus the "Radium
Ore" label encouraged me to read further.
The fine print below states, "Precautionary Advice - Not to be used
when abdominal pain, stomachache, cramps, colic, nausea, vomiting
or other symptoms of appendicitis are present." The next label says
"Warning - Continual use of any laxative may develop a systemic
dependence."
After serious
study and comparing these labels with today's medicinal labels and
side-effect warnings, I offer the following observations. The ingredients
of Crazy Water Crystals appear to be the same as today's Epsom Salts
in which my family soaked our bruises, sprains, wounds, aches and
pains to eliminate soreness. I also recall, in serious cases, a
good dose of Epsom Salts cleared out the lower passages in both
man and beast.
I imagine the twice-a-day bathing in the hot mineralized water was
a great improvement over sitting in a galvanized bath tub, in lukewarm,
second-time-used bath water back at home. But most important of
all, we now have the only legitimate reason I've heard for building
a "two-holer" toilet. It might have been required in a family taking
Crazy Water Crystals for a spring tonic.
© Delbert
Trew
"It's All Trew" July
11, 2006 Column
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