Is Booze The Cure For Swine Flu?

[Bakai]

A few months back I was listening to a radio show discussing the H1N1 Swine Flu and they were interviewing some 90 something year old guy who survived the 1918 pandemic (Spanish Flu) and he was talking about how this one doctor who never lost a single patient. His treatment? He kept his patients drunk on whiskey.

Last week I was coming down with a bad cold. My nose was running and I was sneezing a lot. I do not have allergies and this is how all my colds start. Usually when I get one I am miserable for a couple of weeks and go through a couple boxes of Kleenex. So this time, instead of buying the over the counter cold remedies that are pretty much useless in my opinion, I picked up a bottle of Captain Morgans Spiced Rum and some diet coke.

I had forgotten how good that stuff was. Needless to say I got pretty toasty.

But the next day, while I was slightly hung over (it wasn't as bad as I feared) my cold was completely gone. No runny nose. No sneezing. Nothing. Just gone.

And now I run across this article from Reuters. It is about how Russian soccer fans were told to drink plenty of whiskey to ward off the swine flu.

While this is in no way scientific proof of anything I for one am going to keep plenty of Capt Morgans in the medicine cabinet.

[HeySal]

I'm sure a lot of other of the 40 and over crowd here remember hot toddy's.
When I was a kid I was served a shot of hot whiskey with lemon and honey in it if I started to show cold or flu symptoms. Now days parents can be tossed in jail etc for feeding their kid a shot of booze - but I am gonna agree, those toddy's seemed to work a nice trick.

[KimW]

My mother,who is 85 years old, swears the only cure for a migraine is a shot of bourbon with a glass of coca cola.

[Michael Motley]

supposedly whiskey is a big help for many diseases. and if you think about it, there probably arent many viruses that can stand up to a good whiskey in the bloodstream

[tomw]

I don't think so.

I actually think that booze causes swine flu because every time I drink it I wake up the next day feeling awful.

I'm here all week...



Tom

[Lawrh]

Originally Posted by tomw

I don't think so.

I actually think that booze causes swine flu because every time I drink it I wake up the next day feeling awful.

I'm here all week...



Tom

You just need more practice, becoming a successful drunkard requires effort

[Jason_V]

I don't know about the flu, but my Dad swears by the sore throat whiskey cure.

I'm not much of a drinker anymore, so I gargle with cayenne pepper and warm water. I haven't had a sore throat yet that wasn't defeated by this.

Back to your topic, now that I think about it, there were times in college when I was starting to get a cold and I'd go out and have 1 or 3 and you're right that usually knocked the cold right out of me.

I never even really put two and two together.

*I should mention Southern Comfort 100 Proof, not the wussy 80 Proof or below, was my beverage of choice in those days*

**Yes, I know technically Southern Comfort is Bourbon not Whiskey**

[Dave Patterson]

Originally Posted by tomw

I don't think so.

I actually think that booze causes swine flu because every time I drink it I wake up the next day feeling awful.

I'm here all week...



Tom

Kim's Grandma's recipe works for that too....

[Bakai]

Originally Posted by Jason_V

I don't know about the flu, but my Dad swears by the sore throat whiskey cure.

I'm not much of a drinker anymore, so I gargle with cayenne pepper and warm water. I haven't had a sore throat yet that wasn't defeated by this.

Back to your topic, now that I think about it, there were times in college when I was starting to get a cold and I'd go out and have 1 or 3 and you're right that usually knocked the cold right out of me.

I never even really put two and two together.

*I should mention Southern Comfort 100 Proof, not the wussy 80 Proof or below, was my beverage of choice in those days*

**Yes, I know technically Southern Comfort is Bourbon not Whiskey**

Fortunately Capt Morgans comes in a 100 proof version. I am starting to think that alcohol has been the cure for viruses for centuries but pharmaceutical companies have suppressed the evidence. But that would belong in the conspiracy thread I guess.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Michael Motley

there probably arent many viruses that can stand up to a good whiskey in the bloodstream

It might be a little bit late to prevent catching them, once they've got as far as the bloodstream, don't you think, Michael?!

[Dave Patterson]

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

It might be a little bit late to prevent catching them, once they've got as far as the bloodstream, don't you think, Michael?!

True...but you can sure make them forget why they're there...