Flu remedies from 1959 (BBC interviews!)

I ran across this on facebook, and had to share it! I've heard of the goose grease/lard + mustard plasters, as well as elderflower tea, hot toddies, onions, lemon, and sweating it out.

But I've never heard of putting a sock (let alone a specifically SWEATY sock) around your neck. Any ideas on how this helps? Does the warmth help the lymph nodes? Or does it help keep you warm to sweat it out? Or something else? Or nothing at all?

Nicole, This is interesting. Virus entry is through inhalation most often, the toddies with the alcohol would help kick this, sweating/induced fever raises your body temperature and this is an immune response...bugs are often only viable at certain temperature ranges. Elderberry is a powerful anti-viral. I have known people who had first hand knowledge of the magic of mustard plasters on the chest...I think the goose grease is to seal the mustard and keep it's goodness focused into the chest. My Grandmother used to make toddies for us , send us to bed with a heavy wool sock around the neck too. Not a sweaty one, but she would slather vics vapor rub on our neck first and on the bottoms of our feet. Nothing much ever lasted more than a day...the earlier this protocol was started the better.
Our go to flu and any other creepin' crud remedy today is Grapefruit Seed Extract followed in 30 minutes with Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth to absorb/bind up the die off...all better in an hour. We have other"magic" but this is our go to.