The Rub on Vicks VapoRub

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 17:19:51 +0000

I was forwarded a short video with the alluring title, “Miracles Happen When You Apply Vicks VapoRub to Your Feet.” The speaker tells us in a compelling tone that the miracle is about inducing sleep and calmness, especially when suffering from a cold, by applying Vicks VapoRub to the soles of our foot and then donning socks. The speaker turns out to be a chiropractor and that already starts the alarm bells tingling.

Is there a legitimate medical use for camphor?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 18:16:19 +0000

It wasn't so long ago that mothers would treat their children's colds by hanging little bags of camphor around their necks. The strong medicinal smell probably had some effect in opening up congested nasal passages, but the real value of the treatment undoubtedly was in stopping the spread of the cold by keeping friends at a distance. Camphor can be isolated from the camphor tree which grows in the Orient by a process known as steam distillation.