“Give him one spoonful every four hours,” the doctor told Pat’s mother. “Keep an eye on him and call me back if he starts to get a fever or if his cough persists.”
(Exactly 33 words)
Written for Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt, where the challenge is “spoonful” in exactly 33 words. Photo credit: freepik.com
This, That, and the Other 
This brings back memories!!! My dad was a pediatrician, and we heard this on the phone almost every evening! If any of us was ill, it was “take an aspirin and tell me in the morning.”
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I remember the banana medicine as a kid, almost worth being ill.
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I remember being given aspirin, tea, and sometimes toast — together. This is a positive memory and never did me harm even though it was specifically while I had a flu now and then. [I still take aspirin, today, instead of other things for pain that is unconnected to infection.]
I was recalling this as an adult not far back, and my mother denied emphatically that she could’ve ever done this; despite the fact that I was clearly saying it’s what doctors said to do at that time. No weight on her shoulders, and I have been strong. I dislike people functioning this way.
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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-fever-reducing-meds-fluids-flu-fever.html
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https://www.healthline.com/health/reye-syndrome#causes
Experts aren’t sure what exactly causes Reye’s syndrome. Several factors may play a role. There’s strong evidence showing that it can be triggered when people treat a viral infection with aspirin. It seems to occur in children and teenagers who have an underlying fatty acid oxidation disorder. This is a type of metabolic disorder that causes the body to be unable to break down fatty acids. Other over-the-counter medications may also contain salicylates similar to those found in aspirin. For example, they are also found in:
• bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate)
• products containing oil of wintergreen (these are generally topical medications)
These products should not be given to children who may have, or have had, a viral infection. They should also be avoided for several weeks after your child has received the chickenpox vaccine.
In addition, it’s thought that exposure to certain chemicals like paint thinners or herbicides can contribute to the development of Reye’s syndrome.
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Reminds me of Mary Popping song, “A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine goes down…”
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Yes, that tune did pop into my head as I wrote it.
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