This Vegetable Doubled As A Medical Staple On WWII Battlefields

The idea that certain foods have healing qualities is certainly not a new concept. In addition to the herbs and tinctures that serve as remedies in various forms of traditional medicine, everywhere around the world there are comforting dishes eaten when sick. But while it is certainly true that chicken soup makes you feel better when ill, some remedies have more to them than others. Thyme was once used to fend off the Black Death, though this was to fairly dubious effect. On the other hand, however, garlic was actually employed to moderate effect as a battlefield antiseptic in World Wars I & II.

The antibacterial properties of garlic were first scientifically demonstrated as early as the mid-19th century, and in times of war, medics and doctors need as much help as they can get. Penicillin was discovered in 1928 and was much more effective than any of the other available remedies, but in World War I (which occurred from 1914 to 1918), these medical officers relied exclusively on antiseptics for wound care.

This did not mean, of course, that garlic was the antiseptic of choice in field hospitals — substances like iodine and carbolic acid were common, but the occasional use of garlic as an antiseptic did apparently hang on through World War II (which took place a few decades later, from 1939 to 1945). It was here that the vegetable earned the moniker "Russian penicillin," presumably as a pejorative term referring to the worse-equipped Russian soldiers.

While garlic was indeed sometimes used as an antiseptic during both WWI and WWII, the history of garlic as a medicine actually began much, much earlier. In fact, garlic was known to be a popular curative as early as 2700 B.C. As it spread around the world, it found its place in the healing practices of many cultures. In India, garlic was used to treat various ailments such as skin disease, rheumatism, and hemorrhoids. In China, it was given to treat depression. In Ancient Greece it was even administered to Olympic athletes to improve their strength.

Now, the scientific method wasn't properly developed until the 1600s (and germ theory much later than that), so the application of garlic as medicine happened under very different pretenses. However, as with many traditional medicines, despite lacking the framework to fully understand how it functioned, it was clear that garlic was an effective treatment for a variety of ailments.

While we can't now be certain of exactly how it helped the people of the time, we know that it was considered a treatment for things like intestinal parasites, the removal of which would certainly lead to better health and increased overall vigor. It is easy to see, when you look at how widespread the medicinal use of garlic was historically, how it came to be such a large part of so many cuisines. But it wouldn't be for millennia that we truly understood the power of this humble vegetable.

A head of garlic has only a very mild smell, if any at all, when intact. But as soon as you damage the bulb, whether it is mincing it to add to a sauce or splitting a clove to add garlic flavor to your pasta bowl, the strong scent is immediately apparent. There are a number of compounds that create this scent, but among them are the organosulfur compounds, and allicin in particular. It is these compounds that give garlic its antiseptic properties.

The compound allicin was first isolated in the 1940s, and later analysis showed strong antiseptic properties. But the usefulness of this incredible vegetable as a medicine is certainly not limited to its "Russian penicillin" role on the battlefield. Despite its humble beginnings, garlic is still an area of significant research in the medical community. In various studies, garlic has been shown to treat the common cold, regulate cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and potentially even treat diabetes and cancer.

With how common garlic is in many cuisines around the world, many (perhaps most) of us don't realize that we are already living with the benefits of our ancestors' wisdom. Sure, we have modern medicines to take care of many of the historical applications of garlic, but tradition adding a little extra medicine right into our diet certainly isn't hurting anything, especially given how delicious it tastes. So, don't be afraid to explore the many variations of garlic and their uses — the bad breath is worth it.