In a message dated 97-01-24 00:17:09 EST, you write:

<< A friend of mine was very engorged and someone at her hospital recommende=
 d that she wear cabbage leaves to reduce the swelling. Is there a referen=
 ce or study about this?  If so, could you please send me information on =
 where I can find it.  I was discussing this with one of my physicians and=
  he was interested to know where this information came from.  Thank You.
 Kristin Barr, RN >>

The original reference (at least as original as we can find) comes from a
book called "The Glory of Women" published in 1892.  Since then, it was
written up in Breastfeeding Review in November, 1987 - -by Wendy Rosier.
 that's probably the one considered the 'classic' in the field.  I haven't
been dreadfully impressed with the other "research" that has come out,
particularly since they didn't research it they way it was done in the Rosier
article, so didn't come up with the same results.  When one article (rosier)
says put it on for 2 hours, and the next researcher (in JOGNN or Birth --
sorry, can't remember which), puts it on for 20 minutes and doesn't see an
effect, then one has to wonder about the methodology.

Anyway, great stuff.  It also, just for those of you of inquiring minds,
works wonderfully for those poor ladies with dreadfully swollen ankles after
being pitted for hours on end.  Wrap the legs in cabbage and loosely cover
with an ace bandage to hold in place.  Swelling will be gone within 12 hours.
 (Is this scientific?  Nope, anecdotal.)  I've also used it on my dear son
when he has banged himself up and has sprained a portion of his anatomy.
 Which he does relatively regularly.  Tried to get my mom to use it for her
lymphedema, but she just cocked her eyebrow at me, smiled nicely and said NO.
 (This from a woman who thinks Shakley created the ONLY vitamins in town!!)

Jan Barger