78 Garlic: The Magic Cure-All
Once you have smelled the delicious aroma of garlic, you'll never forget it. It is an herb that is widely used in cooking and salads. You may hear of people using it to improve their health. Some say it even has magical powers. These magical powers were known of even in ancient times. For instance, a Roman soldier would not go into battle without first eating some garlic. The Romans believed that garlic gave a person strength and courage. Whether or not the soldiers fought any better because of their garlic eating, however, is unknown. Nevertheless, this Roman habit may have been frightening to the enemies.
The period of the Middle Ages was fraught with superstition. During the frightening Black Plague, people ate bushels of garlic as protection against the dread disease. Garlic was thought of as a cure-all. For example, people who feared vampires, werewolves, and the evil eye of a witch would wear cloves of garlic wrapped in cloth and hung around their necks.
Even today, garlic is used in various old-fashioned, cure-all remedies. A syrup made from garlic is said to cure colds. A clove of garlic wrapped in a wet cloth and kept on the chest will relieve the discomforts of bronchitis. Garlic has even been put to use in agriculture. Garlic scattered in the soil around peach trees is supposed to protect the trees from harmful pests. And garlic really can be soothing when rubbed on insect bites.
In actuality, garlic's value is not all superstition. Garlic does contain an antibiotic—allium—that doctors use to lower high blood pressure in patients.
78 大蒜：神奇的万灵药
一旦你闻到过大蒜的美味香气，就永远不会忘记它。它是一种广泛用于烹饪和沙拉的香草。你可能听说过人们用它来改善健康，有些人甚至说它有魔力。这种魔力在古代就为人所知：比如罗马士兵上战场前一定会吃些大蒜，罗马人相信大蒜能给人力量和勇气。不过，士兵们吃了大蒜后战斗力是否真的变强了，这一点无从知晓。尽管如此，罗马人的这个习惯可能会让敌人感到害怕。
中世纪充满了迷信。在可怕的黑死病期间，人们大量食用大蒜，以此来抵御这种恐怖的疾病。大蒜被视为万灵药：比如害怕吸血鬼、狼人以及女巫邪眼的人，会把大蒜瓣用布包起来挂在脖子上。
即使在今天，大蒜仍被用于各种老式的万灵疗法中：据说大蒜制成的糖浆能治感冒；把大蒜瓣用湿布包好放在胸口，能缓解支气管炎的不适；大蒜甚至被用于农业——在桃树周围的土壤里撒上大蒜，据说能保护桃树免受有害害虫的侵害；而且被蚊虫叮咬后，涂抹大蒜确实能起到舒缓的作用。
实际上，大蒜的价值并不全是迷信。大蒜确实含有一种抗生素——蒜素，医生会用它来降低患者的高血压。