Spitting cherry stones or filling bags with them?

Did you know there is an yearly national cherry spitting championship in Cromwell, New Zealand? Well, the record of this year was 11.5m and the winner was a Cromwell resident. ''You know it's a good spit when you hear it whistle past your ear,'' group chairman Adrian Somerville said as he measured how far the stones had been propelled (Otago Daily Times). Ok, this is the funny side of the cherry stones, let's see what seriously good things they can do.
I know I could fill my therapeutic bags with cherry stones as well. Actually I would love to find a source in New Zealand for these wonderful heat and cold keepers :-). The effect of a warm bag filled with cherry stones uses the same principle as for the wheat bag and is based on the fact that the absolutely dry cherry-stone loads heat and gives off this heat totally well-directed to the affected parts of the body. Well, while searching on the internet, I found a nice little story about the Swiss tradition related to this matter. In Switzerland, they've been using cherry stones filled
pillows as hot therapy pads for ages. The cherry stones are a natural by-product sourced from the manufacturers of jams and kirsch liqueur. Yumm! Traditionally, the Swiss distilliery workers would place small bags of cherry stones on the factory stoves to use at the end of the day on their stiff shoulders and aching backs - and probably to keep their hands warm on the way home too.
Furthermore the cherry-stone bag is suited as helping device for laying older people or pregnant women as well as for finger or feet massage, especially if it is the matter of restoring the limbs' movement ability, respectively activating it for children.
Until I find a good source of cherry stones, my wheat bags - New Zealand traditional thermal pads - are the ideal natural pain relief just at your fingertips.

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