Key Remedy Rescues Indian Princess

Q. I have read with interest your columns reporting keys as a solution for nosebleeds. I’ve been reading “A Princess Remembers:The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur,” an autobiography by Gayatri Devi.
In talking about palace guests whom she particularly admired as a child of 11 (in the early 1930’s), she describes: “…the especially thrilling Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., the great swashbuckling film star. Later he came to Cooch Behar on a shoot and I had an even more unexpected bit of luck. My nose began to bleed and (he) looked after me and put a key down my back to stop the bleeding.”
I’ve never had nosebleeds but can’t help being intrigued by this lore.
A. Thank you for sharing this fascinating anecdote. We have heard from dozens of readers that putting cold keys down the back of the neck can stop a nosebleed quickly. Who knows where Douglas Fairbanks learned this folk remedy, but it has obviously been around for a very long time.
Here are a few anecdotes singing the praises of this approach to nose bleeds:
As a child, I experienced nosebleeds on a regular basis. My parents used this “remedy” often. It worked for me each time. It got so bad that my mom started keeping a set of old keys in the freezer just for this purpose. What ever works, works. I do not believe that we will or even should expect to know the “reason why” for EVERYTHING under the sun.
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This must have something to do with the cool metal on the back of the neck. When I was little I got a lot of nosebleeds. My mom would go to the kitchen and get a table knife out of the drawer and hold the flat blade against the back of my neck and the nosebleed would stop.
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I really don’t know if any studies have been done. But, since I learned this method at age 14 and am now 65, I’ve used it enough to know it works for me.
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As a teacher for over 30 years , I can attest to the fact that this REALLY works! My children thought I was a magician! Thanks for you help! Kids get lots of nosebleeds!