BOILS

What could we do to help a six-year-old girl who suffers from boils on her bottom? Well, let’s start with the folklore remedy of taping a large slice of garlic to the boil, which should be left on overnight. If that seems unacceptable, try oils of lavender and tea tree. It’s probably also a bit less lumpy. Her diet, too, may be playing a part (her mother told us that she won’t eat vegetables, but eats fruit). She may be generating too much sugar, making her acidic. A worry, raised by several readers, is that boils can be an indication of diabetes, so a change of diet seems essential. In the meantime, boil a handful of parsley in water, and then simmer for a few minutes. Drink a glass of the mixture every two hours for the first day, and then four glasses a day thereafter. The girl could also benefit from a multi-vitamin. One reader’s boils disappeared almost literally overnight after he started a course of vitamin B supplements.