Photos: Innovative Ways People Tried to Protect Themselves From the Flu
During the first half of the 20th century, people used a variety of measures—including gargles, masks and signs—to try and avoid catching the flu.
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Published: February 04, 2020Last Updated: May 28, 2025
Boys wear bags of camphor around their necks around the time of the 1918-19 Spanish flu—an “old-wives’ method of flue-prevention,” according to a December 1946 issue of Life magazine.
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The Spanish flu was a huge concern for WWI military forces. Here, men gargle saltwater to prevent infection at the War Garden at Camp Dix (now Fort Dix) in New Jersey, circa 1918.Read more: Why October 1918 Was America’s Deadliest Month Ever
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A woman wears a sci-fi-looking flu nozzle attached to a machine circa 1919. It’s not clear how it worked or if it had any health benefits.
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Donning a mask, a man uses a pump to spray an unknown “anti-flu” substance in the United Kingdom, circa 1920.
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Professor Bordier of France’s University of Lyon apparently claimed that this machine could cure colds in minutes. This photo circa 1928 shows him demonstrating his own machine.
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People in London wear masks to avoid catching the flu circa 1932. This is a preventative method people still use around the world today.
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People in England wear different-looking masks to prevent the flu circa 1932.
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This baby’s parents had the right idea in this photo circa 1939. The flu can spread between people up to six feet away, and because babies have a high risk of developing serious flu-related complications, it’s best for people who haven’t received flu shots to stay away.Read more: Pandemics That Changed History
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British actress Molly Lamont (far right) receives her “emergency flu rations” of oranges at Elstree Studios in London, circa 1940.
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The worst influenza pandemic in history was the Spanish flu of 1918-1919. It infected an estimated 500 million people (about one-third of the world’s population) and killed an estimated 50 million—more than the death toll for World War I. Even today, the seasonal flu outbreaks remain deadly. Between 291,000 and 646,000 people worldwide die from seasonal influenza-related respiratory illnesses each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the first half of the 20th century, people used a variety of measures to try and protect themselves from the flu. One of these was camphor extracted from Cinnamomum camphora, or camphor trees. People might wear a bag of camphor around their necks to ward off the virus, while nurses and doctors might inject it into an infected patient’s arms and legs with a hypodermic needle. Today, camphor is one of the active ingredients in Vicks VapoRub—though the Food and Drug Administration regulates it in smaller and safer amounts.
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The Spanish Flu Was Deadlier Than World War I
In 1918 the Spanish Flu killed at least 50 million people around the world and was the second deadliest plague in history–after, well, the plague in the 1300s. But how exactly did a flu virus cause such massive death and destruction across the world?
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Other early flu precautions involved gargling saltwater, wearing masks, eating oranges and—at least for one set of parents—warning people not to kiss their baby. These remain good ideas, but even for those who already practice healthy flu season habits, the CDC emphasizes that getting an annual vaccination is one of the best ways to prevent the flu.
