上周我有兩個午餐會不得不取消，本周也是難以確定好幾個午餐會是否要舉行，因爲很多人生病（不一定是甲流）。這次的流感的確給人們的生活帶來很多麻煩和困擾。
一個加拿大朋友把下面這封郵件發給我和一些朋友。我把它翻譯出來送給大家，希望對你有所幫助，希望大家健康平安不要生病。其中的一些東西與我們中醫和中華飲食有關聯。
In 1919. When the flu killed 40 million people, there was this doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it, and many died.
1919年，當流感造成了四千萬人死亡時，有一位醫生到各地農場去探視，看是否可以幫助人們戰勝流感。很多農民和他們家庭感染了流感，很多人因此而死亡。
The doctor came upon this one farmer, and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy.
這位醫生來到一家人家。出乎預料，這家的每一個人都非常健康。
When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home (probably only two rooms back then).
醫生詢問這家的做法與其他人家有何不同，這家的妻子說她在家裏的每一個房間（那時大概也就是兩間吧）裏放置了一顆沒有剝皮的洋蔥。
The doctor couldn't believe it, and asked if he could have one of the onions, and place it under the microscope.
醫生無法置信，因此就問是否可以要一顆洋蔥以便放在顯微鏡下觀察觀察。
She gave him one, and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion.
她給了他一顆。醫生觀察時真的在洋蔥上發現了流感病菌。
It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore keeping the family healthy.
顯然，洋蔥吸收了病菌，因此讓這家人保持健康。
Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in Arizona.
如今，我從亞利桑那州我的理髮師那裏聽到類似的故事。
She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers.
她說幾年前她的很多雇員感染流感，她的很多顧客也是如此。
The next year, she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work . . .
次年，她在她的理髮店裏放了幾個果盤，裏面放了一些洋蔥。令她吃驚的是，她的員工沒有一個生病的。看來洋蔥真的起作用…
(And no, she is not in the onion business.)
（真的，她並不做洋蔥的生意。）
The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home.
故事的核心是，買一些洋蔥吧，把它們擺放在你的家裏的果盤裏。
If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office, or under your desk, or even on top somewhere..
如果你是坐辦公室的，在你的辦公室裏，或者辦公桌下面，或者在櫃子頂部放置幾顆洋蔥吧。
Try it and see what happens. We did it last year, and we never got the flu. If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better.
試試看效果怎麽樣。我們去年做了，沒有人得流感。 如果這樣做可以幫助你和你所愛的人不感冒，那就太好了。
If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case.
如果你仍然得了感冒，也許會是比較輕微的症狀。
Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few bucks on onions!
不管結果如何，你又會有什麽損失呢？ 除了幾顆洋蔥之外！
Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues.
下面是後續。我把這個送給我在奧爾良的朋友，她經常給我一些健康方面的建議。
She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:I don't know about the farmer’s story, but I do know that I contracted pneumonia, and needless to say I was very ill.
她回復說了關於洋蔥的最有趣的實驗： 我不知道那個農民的故事，但是我知道我得了肺炎。不用說，我病的不輕。
I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion, put one end on a fork, and then place the forked end into an empty jar, placing the jar next to the sick patient at night.
我讀到一篇文章，建議把洋蔥的兩頭切掉，插在叉子上，然後把叉子放在花瓶裏，晚上放在病人身旁。
It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs. 據說，洋蔥會因爲病菌而在次日清晨變黑。
Sure enough, it happened just like that. The onion was a mess, and I began to feel better.
果然，事情跟說的完全一樣。 洋蔥看起來糟透了，但我卻開始好起來。
Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago.
那篇文章還談到放在屋子裏的洋蔥和大蒜在多年前的黑死病中救了很多人的命。
