My mother tried lots of things on us when we were children.

*Onion tea: boil onions, add sugar, drink hot (or at least warm).

*Some sort of pink paste that was spread on a clean square of cloth and taped to our chests.

*Vicks Vap-o-rub in a pot of boiling water on a hot plate.

*CreoTurpine cough medicine.

*Hot toddies made with honey and 4 Roses/7 Crown whiskey (always popular!).

I think that if she heard of something she would try it....