Sam: [pours tea] You’ll never guess what I saw this morning. My neighbour’s lad got nipped by their spaniel. Do you know what his gran did? She plucked a bit of the dog’s hair and pressed it right on the bite! Said it’s the “hair of the dog” cure. Proper old wisdom, that.
Ellie: [nearly chokes on her tea] Wait—she literally stuck dog hair in the wound? Sam, that’s not healing, that’s an infection starter pack!
Sam: Oh, don’t be so dramatic. It’s an old tradition. My nan used to swear by it. She always said, “What bites, heals.”
Ellie: Right, and my nan swore that putting butter on a burn would fix it. Turns out it just made me smell like toast while I screamed in pain. Traditions aren’t exactly peer-reviewed science.
Sam: But you’ve got to admit, some of these old remedies had a grain of truth. People wouldn’t keep doing them if they never worked.
Ellie: Or… they survived despite the “remedy,” not because of it. Think about it—dog mouths are crawling with bacteria. Adding their fur isn’t medicine, it’s a free trial of tetanus.
Sam: [laughs] You make it sound like the NHS should hand out vaccines for just looking at a Labrador.
Ellie: Well, they do hand out rabies jabs in other countries. Imagine explaining to a doctor, “Don’t worry, I’ve shoved Rover’s hair in the wound, job done!” You’d be carted off faster than the dog.
Sam: Fair point. Still, there’s comfort in doing what your family taught you. My granddad always said the hair trick “took the poison out.”
Ellie: Comfort, yes. Science, no. You can keep the tradition in spirit—make a little ritual if it helps you feel better—but maybe let antiseptic and plasters do the actual healing.
Sam: So what you’re saying is, swap the dog hair for Dettol and a nice cup of tea?
Ellie: Exactly. And if you must involve the dog, maybe just give it a belly rub instead of harvesting its fur mid-crisis.
Sam: [grinning] Alright, you win. Next time, Dettol first. Dog hair only if I’m desperate… or if I fancy winding you up.
Ellie: [rolling eyes] Typical. I’ll keep the first aid kit ready anyway.
Science Vs Superstition 
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