Not my own story, but my mother's, told to me on the occasion of my 50th birthday ...
My parents met in their early 20s through another couple, Des (flatmate of my father's) and Mary (schoolmate of my mother's). Des had a sore hip, and Mary's mother was a "bonesetter" (a kind of folk healer) so came to the men's flat to see him. "Seeing him" involved Des getting some kind of vigorous massage in the bedroom, and then being slathered with red ointment, while my mother and Mary sat in the other room listening to him moan in pain
When the ordeal was over my mother, making conversation, asked Mary's mother what was in the ointment. One of the ingredients mentioned was "dragon's blood"
My mother went home to the apartment she shared with some of her siblings, and related the story to them. "Dragon's blood??" said her brother
... "and that", says my mother, "was when I found out that dragons don't exist"
> Dragon’s blood is a plant resin that may help with a variety of health concerns, including skin ulcers and diarrhea.
> Dragon’s blood is a natural plant resin. It’s dark red in color, which is part of what gives dragon’s blood its name.
> The resin is extracted from many different tropical tree species commonly called dragon trees. These may come from the plant groups Croton, Pterocarpus, Daemonorops, or Dracaena.
> The plant resin has been used for thousands of years for distinct purposes. There are records of its use among the ancient Greeks and Romans and in India, China, and the Middle East.
My parents met in their early 20s through another couple, Des (flatmate of my father's) and Mary (schoolmate of my mother's). Des had a sore hip, and Mary's mother was a "bonesetter" (a kind of folk healer) so came to the men's flat to see him. "Seeing him" involved Des getting some kind of vigorous massage in the bedroom, and then being slathered with red ointment, while my mother and Mary sat in the other room listening to him moan in pain
When the ordeal was over my mother, making conversation, asked Mary's mother what was in the ointment. One of the ingredients mentioned was "dragon's blood"
My mother went home to the apartment she shared with some of her siblings, and related the story to them. "Dragon's blood??" said her brother
... "and that", says my mother, "was when I found out that dragons don't exist"