With what we have endured for the last year, it has made us look to the past to see how pandemics have been handled. But of course, the main difference from then to now is how much technology has played a role in trying to beat COVID-19. So much has changed on how we try to fend off a deadly virus, so for this blog post, we are going to talk about some ways people tried to beat the 1918 influenza pandemic (you’d be surprised by the crazy things they tried).
Camphor Oil
This oil is found in the wood of camphor laurel and was a popular over-the-counter medicine. Doctors injected it in patients to hopefully control fevers. Turns out it did help kill some bacteria/viruses, lessen pain, and help with a cough but if used too much can be toxic for the human body.
Beef Gravy
Advertising during 1918 said if drank 2-3 times a day it could help with protection from influenza. The thought process behind this was that people who were well-nourished were less likely to get sick.
Onions
The onion soup was advertised to help prevent the flu and increase the odds of fighting off germs. In the end, there was no scientific evidence that onions will help with not contracting viruses.
Snake Oil
This remedy boomed and was made out of rendered fat of a snake. But it turned out to be a scam for lots of people with some of the oils not even containing the snake fat at all. Experts realized that it did nothing and ended up causing harm.
Lots have changed on how we deal with pandemics and it’s evident that technology has worked in our favor with a vaccine being ready almost a year after COVID-19 got to the United States. But for now, no need to have extra beef gravy!
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