Flu tonic recipe from 1918

[Mellie]

I made 6 quarts of 1918 flu tonic last night. The fumes in the air were so gawd-awful I wondered how any virus could survive in the house! A friend came over unexpectedly and was about gagging, eyes watering, as she came to the kitchen door. She managed to choke out her question "What ARE you doing???" I told her she thought this was bad, she shoulda seen me with my little chem set when I was a kidlet. I still don't know if she thought I was kidding about pandemic or not, but she sure was laughing (and crying) before she left with the papers she came over for!

Recipe for flu tonic:
Equal parts about 2 cups each, chopped small --
garlic,
ginger root
horseraddish root
hot peppers, seeds and all (1.5 c of serrano and jalapeno were available)
onion
to fill 5-6 qt jars 1/3 full and
1 gal live 'motha' vinegar to fill the qt jars up to the "shoulder".

Mix once daily for 14 days then strain;
store in cool dark place;

Just the fumes wards off the virus! Naw, you're supposed to drink it in some kind of doses, hold your nose or make bloody mary's without the alcohol. When I get to that consumption stage, I hope I can figure out how much...

My friend piped up that it probably would burn at both ends! (did I say that?) (eyes wide) (hand over mouth)!!

I bet it's killer!

(reposted from the New Zealand thread)

[Mellie]

Hot pepper list (not from 1918)

Scoville rating for peppers: hotter = more capsaicin

 Pepper                Scoville Units 
                      Chile Pepper Heat Range
Sweet Bell                0
Pimento                   0 
Cherry                   00 ~     500
Pepperoncini            100 ~     500
El-Paso                 500 ~     700
Santa Fe Grande         500 ~     750
Coronado                700 ~   1,000
Espanola              1,000 ~   2,000
Poblano               1,000 ~   2,000
Ancho                 1,000 ~   2,000
Mulato                1,000 ~   2,000
Pasilla               1,000 ~   2,000
Anaheim                 500 ~   2,500
Sandia                  500 ~   2,500
NuMex Big Jim           500 ~   2,500
Rocotillo             1,500 ~   2,500
Pulla                   700 ~   3,000
Mirasol               2,500 ~   5,000
Guajillo              2,500 ~   5,000
Jalapeno              2,500 ~   8,000
Chipolte              5,000 ~   8,000
Hot Wax               5,000 ~  10,000
Puya                  5,000 ~  10,000
Hidalgo               6,000 ~  17,000
Serrano               8,000 ~  22,000
Manzano              12,000 ~  30,000
Shipkas              12,000 ~  30,000
De Arbol             15,000 ~  30,000
Jaloro               30,000 ~  50,000
Aji                  30,000 ~  50,000
Tabasco              30,000 ~  50,000
Cayenne              30,000 ~  50,000
Santaka              40,000 ~  50,000
Super Chile          40,000 ~  50,000
Piquin               40,000 ~  58,000
Yatsafusa            50,000 ~  75,000
Haimen               70,000 ~  80,000
Chiltecpin           60,000 ~  85,000
Thai                 50,000 ~ 100,000
Tabiche              85,000 ~ 115,000
Bahamian             95,000 ~ 110,000
Carolina Cayenne    100,000 ~ 125,000
Kumataka            125,000 ~ 150,000
Jamaican Hot        100,000 ~ 200,000
Birds Eye           100,000 ~ 225,000
Habanero            100,000 ~ 325,000
Scotch Bonnet       150,000 ~ 325,000
Red Savina Habanero 350,000 ~ 577,000
Pure Capsaicin   15,000,000 ~ 16,000,000