Good And Bad

Day 117: Despite the fact that it has been banned by the FDA, sassafras bark (root and tree) can be bought on the internet (you can buy anything on the internet if you search long enough), but forty years ago when the announcement was made that it would be removed from the market, I stocked up. Y'see, the bark contains a chemical called safrole, reputed to cause cancer in rats (and that is disputed by other reliable authorities). However, taken in small quantities...as a spring tonic, for example...its benefits outweigh its possible side effects. I generally make about a quart of it every spring (from my forty year-old stash, mind you) and drink it sweetened and with a splash of milk to moderate the pungent but not unpleasant taste. It is highly aromatic. Medicinally, it is a natural mild diuretic and anti-diarrhetic, and is also good for rheumatism. My mother made it every spring when I was a child, and I came to view it as something of a treat. As you can see, I'm still here to talk about it, having a cup to flush the winter lazy-toxins out of my system.