People tried all sorts of remedies, many of which were advertised in local newspapers and today sound atrocious as medical cures.
Menthoeze, for example, was widely sold in town and consisted of goosefat mixed with turpentine for an inhalation treatment. Quinine tablets along with an elixir derived from opium were highly recommended for fever and pain.
A children's concoction called California Syrup of Fig was sold by local pharmacies. Made up almost entirely of fig syrup, it also contained 25 percent Senna, an herbal laxative, as well as 6 percent alcohol.
It's a miracle that residents survived the treatments! But the point is, they did survive and despite large numbers of lives lost, Belvidere and Boone County (Illinois) eventually conquered the virus, not through horrific syrups, but through isolation, quarantine and protection.
By October 25, 1918, cases were down to three per day with very few deaths and Belvidere Mayor W.W. Ray petitioned the State Board of Health to have restrictions eased after weeks of closure and isolation.
So, it may seem like 2020 was the worst year ever, but we have come through bad times before.
--DaCoot
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