Corns
Corns
It's strange, this thing called heredity. My father was always bothered by corns, but I've never had any trouble. Then again, maybe lifestyle makes all the difference in this case. Dad never went barefoot; I always did.
Corns are hardened, mound-shaped areas of increased growth on the skin of the toes. Hard corns occur on the toes, while soft corns arise between the toes.
The best way to deal with corns is to prevent them from forming in the first place. Almost always, they're caused by shoes that fit too tightly, bunching up the toes and irritating the skin. Many people, especially women, wear shoes that are too small for them in the belief that small feet make them appear daintier. But in my opinion, the pain just isn't worth it. (Personally, I'd rather be with a happy, healthy woman in shoes that fit her than with a woman who cripples herself in the name of daintiness.)
Celandine Corn Remover Here's a gentle herbal remedy that you can make yourself for softening and removing corns. The herb celandine has a worldwide reputation as a corn remover. 6 cups water 1 teaspoon potassium chloride 4 ounces fresh celandine, chopped 1 cup glycerin Put the water in a medium saucepan and add the potassium chloride. Heat and stir until the potassium chloride dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the celandine and let stand for 2 hours. Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Using a sieve or wire strainer, strain the liquid into a medium bowl. Discard the plant material. Return the liquid to the pan and let it simmer until it is reduced to 11Ž2 cups. Add the glycerin and continue simmering until the liquid is reduced to 2 cups. Strain the liquid, place it in a bottle and store it in cool place. Apply it to corns twice a day--for example, before you leave for work and before you go to bed. Note: Potassium chloride is available at supermarkets as a commercial salt substitute. |
Green Pharmacy for Corns
If you can't prevent corns, then I'd suggest some herbal treatments that should help.
Celandine (Chelidonium majus). Everywhere I go, from Connecticut to China, herbalists I respect tell me about using celandine to treat corns. I confess that I have not yet tried it, but if I ever get a corn, I plan to. In fact, I've got the formula all ready for a Celandine Corn Remover.
Fig (Ficus carica), papaya (Carica papaya) and pineapple (Ananas comosus). When King Solomon developed boils, his physicians applied figs; this is one of the very few descriptions of the medicinal use of herbs in the Bible. Figs contain
protein-dissolving enzymes that help dissolve unwanted skin growths, including corns. papaya and pineapple contain similar enzymes, and all three fruits have age-old reputations for reducing corns and warts.
Here's a recipe culled from my database that I might try if I ever abandoned my barefoot ways and got a corn. Open a fresh fig and tape the pulp to the corn overnight. Or cut a square of pineapple peel and tape the inner side to the corn overnight. The following morning, remove the herb and soak the foot in hot water. After an hour or so, try to remove the corn. It should come off fairly easily, but you can rub it gently with a pumice stone if necessary.
"Some stubborn cases, however, may require four to five overnight treatments," warns medical anthropologist John Heinerman, Ph.D., author of Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs. Folklore attests to some fairly similar procedures using papaya.
Willow (Salix, various species). Willow contains aspirin-like compounds known as salicylates that relieve pain. But salicylates are also powerful acids that can help dissolve corns and warts. Just use this herb carefully, placing willow bark poultices directly on the corn itself; don't let the herb come in contact with the surrounding skin. Because they're acidic, salicylates may cause skin inflammation.
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). This is another good source of salicylates. Some herbalists recommend that you apply wintergreen oil to
remove calluses, corns, cysts and warts. I'd probably try it for corns, both to
dissolve hardened skin and to relieve pain. Again, to make sure you avoid irritation, apply the oil only to the corn itself and not to the surrounding skin.
Remember, though, to keep wintergreen oil (or any product containing it) out of the reach of children. The minty smell can be very tempting, but ingesting even small amounts can prove fatal to young children.
