Rum not RAM

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Though it's medicinal use has been generally forgotten, for centuries liquor in one form or another has been used as a specific for all kinds of ailments. The following is for informational purposes only, not the practice of medicine.

1. In extremely cold countries, 1 tablespoon of rum with 1 tablespoon of honey was taken once an hour to help keep a person warm.

2. A tot of sweetened rum in a cup of hot water was given to flu patients every couple of hours. The patient was put in bed, piled with blankets and "sweated" out his illness. Seems to work, too.

3. There probably isn't anything better for a cough and chest conjestion than a tablespoon of Cherry Brandy taken once an hour.

3. Any liquor is an antiseptic. Use to wash wounds or sterilize instruments.

So don't forget to stock a little liquor, this includes you teetotaling Baptists. On the plus side, If Y2k doesn't go down too badly and nobody gets sick, you can throw a party and drink the stuff.

-- elskon (elskon@bigfoot.com), December 15, 1999

Answers

Alcohol does have medicinal uses, but don't use it to keep warm. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and actually increases heat loss. Your stomach may feel warm for awhile, but your body temperature will go down. Heated, non-alcoholic beverages are best to increase core body temperature.

That said, stock up the booze anyway--we all need a little altitude adjustment from time to time.

-- Sam Mcgee (weissacre@getc.net), December 15, 1999.


You are correct, when alcoholic beverages are consumed in the usual quantities. But in the dosage specified, it appears that the rum may actually help the body to utliize the sugars in the honey quickly. However, I'm not going to debate it.

-- elskon (elskon@bigfoot.com), December 15, 1999.

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