Most of us like a drink, but no-one loves a hangover – the headache, the feelings of lassitude and anxiety, the slight nausea that could turn nasty any second…
If only we had a sure-fire cure for this most tiresome of ailments; we know why it happens – alcohol dehydrates you, depletes several vitamins and minerals from the body and, well, poisons you.
Humans throughout the ages have searched for the panacea that’ll allow them consequence-free mornings-after, although some consequences are more painful than a headache, especially if you end up needing drinkdrivesolicitor.com. While some remedies have a grain of truth to them, others are just bonkers and even repulsive.
The IV Doc
Major cities in the US have this angel of mercy on call. The IV Doc will come to you, laden with drips full of vitamins, amino acids and sweet, sweet water that will replenish and rehydrate you within the hour.
Yay science!
Cabbage water
In ancient times, when the Greeks and Romans wanted to get their brew on, they’d boil up some cabbage and eat it before, during or after drinking. Some would even drink the left-behind water as well. Sounds gross, but cabbage contains compounds that prevent alcohol from damaging the liver during metabolisation.
Eels
During the Middle Ages, eels were the cure of choice for revellers. The fish had to be raw, as people believed they would come back to life in the gut and drink any remaining alcohol left in there. Again, yay science! In reality, it’s possible that the high levels of protein, calcium and various vitamins did the trick.
Moving swiftly on
Herbalists and chemists in the 17th century had some rum ideas for hangover cures too. They’d concoct potions and pills containing ground up viper, the skulls of hanged convicts and ammonia. Slightly less dramatic were the teas made from mint, rosemary and ivy, which probably went some way to helping, even if it was just the water.
The Victorians
You’d expect the Victorian cures for a hangover to be as punishing as the headache itself, and they were. Doctors of the day advocated shock therapy, drinking vinegar and rubbing it on the temples. Other measures included throwing cold water at the poor party-goer.
Other cures were warm milk and soot from the fireplace – charcoal does help to settle the stomach and in combination with the milk, wasn’t too far removed from the antacids we can buy today.
Rabbit poo
The pioneers of the Wild West were a long way from home and so had to make do with whatever they could find on the range. Rabbit poo soaked in hot water was a firm (ahem) favourite to get rid of the whisky-induced blues. A hangover seems preferable.
Modern day
We now have an amazing array of cures at our disposal, including the IV Doctor. There’s good old ibuprofen, isotonic drinks and, of course, cola in all its many forms. Do they work? Well, most of us end up drinking again, so there must be something in them…
