Alcohol/Gin VS Swine flu

Well last night I had dinner at my grandfather house and he was all scared about H1N1... even if he's a retired doctor...

So I explained to him all, and finally he figured it was hype.

But then he started telling about the 1918 epidemic and how his father, that was a doctor too, during that time, worked at the main hospital. There was two main doctors who treated the 1918 flu.

One was using all kinds of meds... He had tons of dead patients.
The other was giving gin (as in alcohol) to his patients, all they wanted... so most of the time his patients were drunk. NOT ONE PATIENT DIED. NOT ONE.

So me thinks we should try that method if it becomes real bad.

I seem to remember a Russian health agency instructing russian football fans visiting Wales for a world cup qualifier to drink whisky to reinforce them against the Swine Flu virus.

Whether they did, and whether it worked, who knows.

Sounds like a good excuse to drink a bit more of that delightful Havana Especial Rum than usual. Too bad you can't get it in America!

Juniper has many therapeutic properties as an appetite stimulant, sedative, headache reducer and stomach soother.

It was used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans as a medicine, and used in the Middle Ages to protect against Bubonic Plague. The British used it with Quinine Water (Gin & Tonic) in India to protect against Malaria.

Research has found the oils from the Juniper Berry to indeed have medicinal affects, just in trace amounts compared to modern medicines.

Wow, I believe it. Mostly.
Good luck finding a case study saying that, though.

Have you investigated more? Or, are we just going by the stories Dad is relating?

No disrespect, just asking.

Cuhail

reply to post by Vitchilo

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I have heard the smokers and the drinkers had a better survival rate during the 1918 flu pandemic.

But that's just hearsay, no solid source.

What id do for some juice and gin right now, but sadly i am in a country that does not allow drinking so I guess ill have to wait till next year.

what insane country doesnt let you drink
and why isnt your priority to get outta there

reply to post by Stop-loss!

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What country is that?

I was in the middle east, drinking is a jail time offense.

I know drinking lowers the immune system, but I also know alcohol effects every cell in the body. Maybe it can help kill infected cells?

No clue...I know H1N1 affects the cells in the lungs, and as a immune system reaction, it kills the cells leaving holes in the lungs to fill with fluids, causing the victim to drown.

Maybe the stunning of the immune system prevents this, but then how would the flu virus die itself if the alcohol and the immune system doesn't kill it?

reply to post by Vitchilo

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I can't say this surprises me. I live in Kentucky and nearly all the old-timers out here in the sticks, make their own "medicines" for flu and such. I know of people who will down a whole bottle of whiskey when they're sick... people that would NEVER drink otherwise. When I was little, my family pretty much thought alcohol was the devil, yet when I came down with something, I remember my grandmother chasing me through the house with some concoction that my grandfather made out of bourbon and horehound candy. I think she may have gotten a spoonful of it down me one time, but never again, lol! I hated that nasty stuff... would probably like it now, HA HA! But anyway, I'm not sure how it works, but people swear by it! Honestly, they usually do recover pretty fast after their "remedy." Maybe they just get so sloshed that they don't realize they're sick anymore, lol.

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I'm not saying that this is a way to go or not but the only person's advice you should take about your health is your doctor.

This post reminds me of my grandmother who would have a case of gin stored in her closet. She would sip on a shot before bed and that's it. She told me it cured most aliments and helped her sleep better. She died at the age of 98 of old age.

I don't drink, but I'd be willing to take a shot(small shot glass please) at it..
My Grandmother died at the age of 98. She did 3 things, every nite her whole life, and she was never sick!
1. Open her bedroom window a crack, even in winter.
2. Nothing on her face but soap, and Ponds cream.(she had no wrinkles)
3. She kept a 1940's bottle of whiskey under her bed, and took a shot each day, even though she hated alcohol..

since i stopped drinking a couple of years ago i get way more colds and flus.

im sure the alcohol does help killing the baddies that get in your body. the only problem is , it gives you other kinds of health problems instead!!

reply to post by dean007

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Im in Iraq and I cant drink until i get out of this country next year when my contract is terminated.

reply to post by Stop-loss!

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In the face of forced sobriety suicide bombing all of the sudden doesn't seem so bad.

Hey, thats probably why they do it with no regrets. They are also sexually repressed since their women wear so much clothes and would be killed by the other people if they got together without gettting married.

Take two nasty tasting substances (gin and tonic). Put them together with a squeeze of lime (gotta watch out for scurvy don't you know) at 4:00 PM and you end up with a dangerously tasty concoction. I was thinking about getting a shot but now I'm reconsidering.

Gin makes you sin
Beer makes you cheer
Whiskey makes you frisky
Cold duck...

Well, thier is an old saying..a glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away* I think thats how it goes...i know a guy who knows a guy who drinks 3 galsses of red wine a day, and he cliams he ahs never been sick or to the emergency room in over 15 years! My grandmtoehr used to almso swear by it..she did get that one cold every year, bus she never drank it daily.
It is said, alcohol cleanses your body and system.yes it does weaken your immune system, but as it saturates into yuor blood and ssytem, theoretically, it should aid kind of like lysol would* if it were possible to introduce it into your body. disinfectant* i DEF wouldnt have let those patintc drink so much to the point of being drunk! thats careless...unless it was thier deathbed then yeah i would.

I have drank and smoked both ciggies and the green variety since roughly the age of 15-16 and have not had a cold or flu in that time ....

In all fairness I do play sport ( skateboard / football (round lol) ) but I dont really think that contributes too much to my immune system considering....

also I have slept every night including winter with my window just slightly open and never wash with anything more than soap / water and have great skin lol....

I've always been of the opinion that bieng wrapped up in bed with tons of blankets does nothing more than possibly promote flu's and cold's due to the fact that virus's and bacteria thrive in warm environments and lazing around just helps that....

who knows mayb i just have a killer immune system

[edit on 28-10-2009 by Disclosure Agent]