Were heroin addicts used to help Spanish flu patients?

Upvote:2

I find this at least slightly plausible for a couple of reasons. One is that current research shows that while opioid use is generally understood to be suppressive to the immune system, it can have surprisingly complex effects, including immunostimulatory under certain circumstances. The other reason is that "the stronger the person's immune system, the more lethal the experience with the flu tended to be." (I'm quoting from a footnote here, which cites Barry's The Great Influenza, p.247) Young men in their 20s died very disproportiantely and it is thought to have to do with an overactive immune response.

That said, I can't find any reference directly relevant to the question, and we are talking about a work of fiction after all, so I would still consider this an open question.

Brian Z 18314

📝 Were Trojans the ancestors of the Romans?
📝 Why was Mexico's former ruling party named the *Institutional* Revolutionary Party?
📝 Why was William Tyndale burnt at the stake?
📝 When did people understand where children come from?
📝 Who decided to confront the Japanese at Midway?
📝 What defenses did Lee leave behind when the Army of Northern Virginia left for Gettysburg?
📝 Why are early submarines faster on the surface, while later types are faster when submerged?
📝 What made Cicero so fascinating to Petrarch?
📝 Were there communes in Imperial Germany?
📝 What is this war machine shown on Trajan's column?
📝 Why does Charles Lindbergh appear to avoid England in 1927?
📝 Why didn't Caesar hire free men to do slave work?
📝 Were Cypriots able to pay their bills during the "bail in" of March 2013?
📝 Was the act of servicemen exchanging their weapons for enemy weapons common during WWII?
📝 Why did the Nazis collaborate with the Ustaše?
📝 Did Celtic druids teach in Greece?
📝 Did the Portuguese and the Spanish have slaves on European soil working for them?
📝 Is there a reason why Turkey took the Balkan territories of the Ottoman Empire, instead of Greece or another of the Balkan states?
📝 Did Edith Wilson influence the passage of the 19th Amendment?
📝 The Overwhelming Success of Greeks
📝 Why were Hoplite shields circular?
📝 What is the Greek inscription on the Nicaea gate?
📝 Did the "I have a dream" speech make a big impact at the time it was spoken?
📝 Have Moscow and Beijing ever been cities under the same rule?
📝 Did the Romans hold the Isle of Wight and surrounding areas before the invasion in 43 AD?
📝 Downloadable/Printable 3D Model of Cylinder Seal
📝 How was Germany's border decided?
📝 More cases of visiting politicians having their own entourage/followers beat up protesters?
📝 Where is this possibly WWI Eastern European military uniform from?
📝 In Dutch history two people are referred to as "William III"; are there any more cases where this happens?

Source: stackoverflow.com

Travel Tips

Search Posts

📝 Were heroin addicts used to help Spanish flu patients?
📝 During the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, did society question whether or not recovered patients will remain immune?
📝 When were the first deaths from the Spanish Flu Pandemic?
📝 What drugs were used in England during the High Middle Ages?
📝 Why were Navajo code talkers used during WW2?
📝 When were swords last used in European warfare?
📝 How were drawbridges and portcullises used tactically?
📝 Why were British ships not of the same quality as French and Spanish ships until the latter part of the 18th century?
📝 Were slings used for throwing hand grenades? If not, why?
📝 What were sandbags used for in medieval duels?
📝 What kind of ink was used by medieval scribes in Iceland, given that there were no plant galls for iron-gall ink?
📝 Were taiko drums used to determine village sizes?
📝 Why were balls used on the Medici coat of arms?
📝 How frequently were homing pigeons used in the World Wars?
📝 How were dagger axes used in battle?
📝 Were there any Roman villas in Britain which were used rather than destroyed after the Romans left?
📝 How many pens were used by MacArthur to end the final chapter of World War II and where are they now?
📝 How come Incas believed that the Spanish were the incarnation of their “thunder god”?
📝 Were toilets used more than once as a weapon in a military conflict?
📝 Were the animals used for gladiatorial combat in Rome trained?
📝 What weapons were manufactured in India by the British forces which were used during world wars?
📝 Were Archimedes screws used in pre-modern times in the far east?
📝 Were groups (or 'companies') of dogs used to attack enemy armies in medieval battles?
📝 What exactly were currours, and what were they used for?
📝 Why were swords used in battle?
📝 During the Sengoku-jidai, what were shinobi (aka ninja) used for?
📝 What kind of siege weapons were used during Punic wars?
📝 How were dogs used in WW1
📝 Why were the ship names "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" used together?
📝 When were marching bands last used in warfare?

Were heroin addicts used to help Spanish flu patients?

More post

Search Posts

Related post