The Observer Magazine of 4 October 1970 was all about ‘keeping spirits up when the mercury’s down’. Medical correspondent Christine Doyle began with a brief history of the cold and flu.
‘Ingenious man can send himself to the Moon,’ wrote Doyle, ‘but he cannot prevent or cure a cold which develops on the way.’ Some of the detail is spookily familiar, referring to the difference between rhino viruses and corona viruses, which are ‘thought to be responsible for very heavy and runny colds in mid-winter’. If only they’d stayed that way.
Doyle then wrote about the cyclical theory of flu strains: ‘If the theory holds good, it may be that the strain of flu virus responsible for the 1918 pandemic, which killed millions throughout the world, could re-emerge in the early 1980s.’ Thankfully it was nothing more deadly than the New Romantics that re-emerged in the early 80s.
To ward off colds, ‘a tot of whisky on its own or with lemon and honey to soothe a cough or sore throat’ was recommended. One ‘family doctor’ said: ‘There’s no harm in it. It brightens you up and helps you perspire. But you don’t need large quantities, unless you are used to drinking a lot – just an ordinary large whisky.’
In terms of food, Jane Grigson said to avoid ‘winter stodge… dumplings and treacle pud do no more to combat winter weather than a plate of ham salad’. Recipes for gammon with port and turnips, and beef stew with prunes nevertheless followed.
And how about a winter holiday as a volunteer at the Common Cold Research Unit in Salisbury? ‘Where else can you have a 10-day holiday, with free board and lodging… and a thorough on-the-spot medical examination?’ one volunteer marvelled.
The unit was popular with teachers ‘desperate for peace and quiet’ – so desperate they would rather decompress by avoiding Christmas and being deliberately inoculated with cold viruses instead.
