>Jane:
>
> I use cabbage straight from the fridge/ I do not freeze it.

I wonder if the fridge part is mainly just so the remaining cabbage keeps
longer for subsequent cole slaw!

There's not much volume to a cabbage leaf, and there's a whole lot of
surface area.  So any cold that the cabbage carries with it from fridge to
body is lost pretty quickly - much of it before it even hits the skin.  But
because of its moisture content, cabbage *feels* cool next to the skin even
when it's been out of the refrigerator for a long time.

When I used it for post-dental-surgery swelling, I found it simplest just to
take a head of cabbage to bed with me.  As I felt the need, I pulled a fresh
(and always cool-feeling) leaf off the head, tore out the vein, crumpled the
leaf slightly, and applied.  Didn't feel any need at all for it to be right
out of the fridge, and it sure was nice not getting out of bed.  Much easier
than the poor bag of frozen-thawed-frozen-thawed peas I took to bed as
well...
--
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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