The Healer

Today Marie made me so happy. She had told me this story years ago and of course, I didn't write it down. She was very bright and happy this morning. After breakfast I took a chance and asked her about the time she burned herself. This is how the story goes:

Marie's grandfather Joeseph H. Aubin and his wife.
This picture was in an album of Marie's.
Note the paper clip holding the photo.

Marie was home alone. She said that her husband had gone to his parents' house to play cards with his brothers. She added, "cards, cards, cards. Never got tired of playing cards."
She was "carrying" her first child, Marie, and was in her first trimester. She and Ray lived on the fourth floor of a cold water flat. She had decided that she wanted a cup of tea and heated water for it on the stove in a pot. She did not say tea pot. She just said, pot. When the water was boiling, she was going to pour it in a cup for either tea or coffee. She did not specify what she was going to make. In the process of pouring the scalding water, she hit the sink with the pot of water. It slopped the terribly hot water all over her pregnant belly. Of course, soaking her clothes in the process. She said that she had called her mother. She told Marie to call her pep'e. or pe'p'ere or grandfather in Canadian French.
She did that because he was known as a healer. He told her to mix soda and bluing (laundry bluing) and smear on her stomach. The lady from the floor below brought some ice. The healing began immediately. I have never heard of such a thing. Marie called her work and told them she "wouldn't be there for a couple of days." Missing work was almost a disaster at that time in her life.
Marie went to the doctor and the doctor told her that if she had been further along she would have lost the baby. I question that because generally the first three months are often the times when ladies lose their babies. However, when she told me that this morning, I do remember her telling me that before.

Photo of bluing.
Still selling.

Since Marie is disabled, I do her personal cares. She has always said that the only thing she has to show for the horrible burn is a "cauliflower" scar. There is no scar, there is however, an almost indiscernible naval. I'm thinking she was burned so badly that her naval was scarred over and now is no longer seen.
Since Google is my best friend now days, I asked it what the ingredients of laundry bluing was. "Laundry bluing is made of a very fine blue iron powder suspended in water (a colloidal suspension.)"
Another site said that it contains a pH balancer and a biocide to prevent the buildup of algae and bacteria. There you go! How did he know this? Probably was something handed down for generations in his family. It may have in fact saved Marie's child that she was carrying.
What do you have in your house for burns?