Doctors were unsure what to recommend regarding the Spanish flu. Many wisely urged people to avoid crowded places, and cover their mouths and noses. Others suggested medicinal remedies included eating cinnamon, drinking wine, or consuming Oxo’s beef broth. At one point, the use of aspirin was blamed for causing the pandemic (overdosing damaged the lungs); others think it may have helped those infected. There is no epidemiological evidence to support either theory. Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
