Albert's Grasshopper Ointment

[gness]

Chatting with a friend today about chilblains we disagreed about the name of the ointment we used as children.
She said it was called Wintergreen Ointment and I remembered it as Grasshopper Ointment.

Decided to have a google and it was Grasshopper Ointment.....anyone remember it?

Seems its name could have come from the old tradition of cutting a Praying Mantis in half and rubbing the juice on the chilblain....

Now, maybe it worked....but who on earth would have first thought to cut a Praying Mantis in half and rubbing it on a chilblain????.....
Other than someone who wasn't fond of a Praying Mantis.... :-(

[tonyav]

Are they those Birdseye waffles, Yilly.

[gness]

Oh I don't know, Tony.......I'd never shake feet with Tilly......but I may just meet and shake hands with Beegee!.... :-(

[tonyav]

Mmmmmm hadn't thought of that, from now on always wear gloves, gness.

[ferlew]

My great gran has awful chilblains, and used Snowfire, Wintergreen was rubbed into achey joints, and great grandad always had a wad of Thermogene under his vest :)

[ferlew]

"had" not "has".

[gness]

Hi, Ferlew....I thought Wintergreen was more for aches.....x

[Caran]

I can remember having red flannel spread with goose fat being strapped to my chest under my vest. Gosh I must have stunk to high heaven at school!

[Jackdaw33]

Goose grease was the forerunner of Brylcreme.

[gness]

You were lucky to have red flannel, Caran......I had brown paper.....crackly as well as stinky......x