Thursday, December 28, 2006

How to cure hiccups

Robert Stein tells us:
"In this season of eating too fast and drinking too much, both of which may bring on hiccups, herewith Dr. Travell’s little-known but, in my experience, absolutely effective cure:

There is a small flap at the back of the upper palate called the uvula. Pressing the end of a butter knife or spoon handle firmly against it for three seconds or more will make the spasms stop. The only problem is to keep the hiccupper calm enough to avoid gagging.

In dozens of attempts with friends and family, I found it worked every time. As a magazine editor, I ran a brief item, and scores of readers confirmed that it did.

This hiccup treatment may also stop snoring, if you have the nerve to wake someone and try."


Um.... I think I'll pass on that last suggestion unless I really want to be beaten to death with a spoon....

2 comments:

Steve Bates said...

Ack! Knives and spoon handles sound hazardous to me! I'll just tolerate the occasional hiccups!

(Fortunately, neither Stella nor I snore. Snores? My sainted mother would have known which is correct...)

ellroon said...

I think the gag reflex alone would make one stop hiccupping, let alone the threat of sticking cutlery down one's throat...