Where do home remedies come from? Most of the time, we have no clue. Some have been around for centuries. Others are rooted in personal observation. We have long been collecting simple solutions for common ailments.

One especially popular treatment for diarrhea arrived in our mailbox in November 1998. It came from Donald Agar, who lived in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He had suffered from Crohn’s disease for decades. To treat it, he had undergone surgeries and taken powerful medicines, some with serious side effects. However, he still found that the daily diarrhea associated with his condition was hard to control.

When his wife died, Donald had to fend for himself. He liked a bit of dessert after his meals, but he didn’t want to invest time into making it. Instead, he bought cookies. To his amazement, eating two coconut macaroon cookies a day controlled his diarrhea. Donald wrote to us so that we could share his discovery.

Since then, we have had hundreds of responses from readers, and most of them are as grateful as Steve. He wrote:

“It’s been over a week since I started on coconut macaroons and I feel great. Although diarrhea is not exactly water-cooler conversation, I have learned that Crohn’s affects a lot more people than you would imagine. I’ve been suffering for 22 years.

“After my first bowel resection, I’ve had to take prescription medication to help reduce the number of trips I make to the bathroom every day. Since I have been eating these cookies, I’m a once-in-the-morning man and that’s it for the day. I’m thrilled.

“That’s a big part of the problem with Crohn’s disease. You actually have to limit your activities or at least consider what you do or where you’re going to be to make sure there is a facility nearby in case nature calls. With Crohn’s disease, nature doesn’t just call, it SHOUTS!”

Steve is not the only person to have benefited from Donald Agar’s discovery. John does not have Crohn’s disease, but he reported: “I saw a doctor for the first time in years because I had terrible diarrhea. He said nothing could be done; I’d just have to wait it out. I would have to miss flying home to see my family for Christmas.

“I read in The People’s Pharmacy about coconut macaroons and ate three the first day. It worked well. By the second day, the symptoms were gone.”

Tara offered her story: “I’ve had chronic diarrhea for 60 years, since my early 20s. I am lactose intolerant and take a ‘dairy relief’ pill each day. Still, I had diarrhea, often several times a day. I’ve treated it mostly with diet and anti-diarrhea pills.

“I read about coconut macaroons in your column but didn’t want to consume so much sugar. Then I read a comment about adding coconut flakes to yogurt.

“I had both on hand, so I stirred several tablespoons of unsweetened coconut flakes into plain yogurt. Eating several large spoonfuls a day really works! I can’t believe something so simple is so effective.”

You, too, could try Tara’s trick. If you prefer coconut macaroons, we feature a recipe from a reader in our book, “Recipes & Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy.” You can find this 178-page volume in the books section of the store at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”