Seems to me, before we put too much energy into deciding which works
better, hot or cold cabbage, we need to wrap a heated piece around a
thermometer, and a chilled piece around a thermometer, and see how long it
takes the thermometers to return to room temperature.  A minute?  Maybe
two? Could hot or cold cabbage really hold its starting temperature long
enough to matter, if we're talking about leaving it in place for up to
several hours?

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY