Luck, not goat’s milk prevents poison oak itch

Q. When I was 2, I was very ill and was hospitalized in a sanitarium. There the children were fed goat’s milk. The goats roamed the hills around the hospital and foraged on poison oak.

I have been immune to this plant all my life. I could even rub it on me and nothing would happen. I have pulled up a lot barehanded. I’ve always assumed that drinking that goat’s milk was responsible. What do you think?

A. Goats will eat poison ivy and poison oak without problems and can be used to control these noxious weeds. American folklore holds that drinking the milk of goats that have eaten these toxic leaves will make a person less susceptible to the rash.

Scientists say, however, that the goat’s milk contains no urushiol. This is the compound that causes the rash. So drinking goat’s milk shouldn’t protect people. We found your story fascinating, though. Some people are more resistant to this contact dermatitis than others, and you might be one of the lucky ones regardless of drinking goat’s milk.

Q. My doctor has his patients put pressure on the bridge of the nose after using eyedrops. He says otherwise the medicine goes directly into the bloodstream.

Many residents in my senior center say their glaucoma doctor never mentioned that. Is it helpful?

A. Some medicine for glaucoma can cause side effects throughout the body. To prevent absorption, press on the inside corner of your eye for at least 30 seconds (up to two minutes) after placing the drop in the eye. This closes the tear duct off and helps reduce the amount of the drug circulating through the body.

Q. I have had toenail-fungus problems for years and years. Recently, a friend sent me a magic formula that cleared my nails in less than a month. I just spray a half-and-half mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on my toes once or twice a day.

A. Diluting the hydrogen peroxide solution you can buy at the drugstore should give you a safe way to treat fungus. The antiseptic properties of hydrogen peroxide probably discourage the fungus and keep it from spreading.

Q. Lately my favorite hiccup cure, peanut butter, has come under fire as a choking hazard. I found a substitute that works just as well, but without the risk: peanuts.

If you’re allergic to peanuts I wouldn’t suggest this, but if you’ve used the peanut-butter hiccup cure before, this works, too. I gave up peanut butter as part of my weight-loss plan, so I don’t keep any in the house. I do like to snack sometimes on dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts.

I got the hiccups one night, and I ate a handful of peanuts and drank a little water. My hiccups were gone. A friend had the same result, so I expect this will help others.

A. Swallowing a spoonful of dry sugar or sucking on a section of lemon are time-honored hiccup cures. Thanks for suggesting a new one.