Even though we usually think of medicine as a "science" and as something that should be standard, medicinal practices vary from culture to culture and even from family to family. All of us inherit beliefs from our parents about what causes what illnesses and what to do to cure them. In my family, for example, my parents taught me from a young age to always wash my hands to kill germs, which are a main cause of disease. They taught me that we should cook our food well to prevent it. That to cure a sickness the best thing is rest and to be well hydrated. When we are sick our have a surgery there is always ice cream. I vividly remember sucking on mickey mouse popsicles when I got my tonsils out as a child.
