You Want Me to Put What on My Feet?

It's that time of year again, when PBS asks us to support programming and pledge money. As a bonus they often send books, videos, or a wide variety of other "gifts." One of the gifts recently offered was a book titled "The People's Pharmacy Favorite Home Remedies". Joe and Terry Graedon, the authors, were telling us all about the home remedies they had received from the public. One such remedy was for a child's cough. Joe and Terry ask us that given the recent backlash and possible dangers of children's cough medicines, what is a parent to do? Their answer: Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet with thick socks to protect your sheets. My question: How and why would that work? I did a little research and found that this topic has been looked at by Snopes.com and David Emory's urban legends site. There is nothing beside anecdotal evidence to support the claim. No studies have shown it to be effective. In fact, there is no mechanism to explain how it could work besides the vapors that Vicks gives off anyway when used correctly. The makers of Vicks VapoRub advocate using the product only as recommended in the packaging. VapoRub contains camphor, and some health agencies have advised that products containing camphor not be used for children because some products may be toxic if ingested or excessively applied to the skin. There have even been cases of seizures associated with camphor. So, will I be putting Vicks on my children's or my own feet next time someone has a cough? No, thank you, I think I'll leave that squishy sounding endeavor to someone else.