Hair of the dog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hair of the dog is a colloquial English expression predominantly used to refer to ingestion of alcohol as treatment for a hangover. It is occasionally used with respect to dealing with the aftereffects of use of other recreational drugs. It is a shortened form of the expression “the hair of the dog that bit you.”
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[edit] Origin and derivation
The origin of the phrase is unclear, but instances of the phrase have appeared in English literature since the time of William Shakespeare. Ebenezer Cobham Brewer writes in the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898): "In Scotland it is a popular belief that a few hairs of the dog that bit you applied to the wound will prevent evil consequences. Applied to drinks, it means, if overnight you have indulged too freely, take a glass of the same wine next morning to soothe the nerves. 'If this dog do you bite, soon as out of your bed, take a hair of the tail in the morning.'" He also cites two apocryphal poems containing the phrase, one of which is attributed to Aristophanes. It is not known whether the idea of like curing like, or the practice (which may have other psychological causes) came first. Certainly it is possible that the phrase was used to justify an existing practice. It is also possible that the modern use of the phrase arose as a metaphor for that idea and did not have a former basis in practice.
The phrase is also used in a more general context to mean "a little dose of something which caused your problems in the first place," can be used to cure the problem. The phrase may have some roots in the Latin phrase "Similia similibus curantur".
The phrase also exists in Hungarian, where the literal translation to English is "(You may cure) the dog's bite with its fur", but has evolved to a short three word phrase ("Kutya harapást szőrével") that is used frequently in other contexts when one is trying to express that the solution to a problem is more of the problem.
[edit] Other names
Among the Irish, the phrase 'The Cure' is often used instead of 'hair of the dog'.[1] It is used, often sarcastically, in the question "Going for a Cure?"
[edit] Scientific background
A hangover is due partly to poisoning by the toxic chemicals into which alcohol is converted by the body and the other components of the alcoholic drink, and partly to the body's reaction to withdrawal from alcohol. See Hangover. The symptoms of a hangover are similar to those of withdrawal, namely a throbbing headache, nausea, and maybe even vomiting. Thus consuming more alcohol ("hair of the dog" ) may help by blunting some of these symptoms.
Drinking more alcohol can make the symptoms seem to lessen at first, but will only aggravate the symptoms once the liver breaks the alcohol down, because the body will have additional toxins to deal with.
Physicians do not recommend 'hair of the dog' treatments for hangovers. [2] Ethanol use may promote continued ethanol usage. ; It is not medically recommended for hangovers, nor for the long term treatment of problems related to alcohol consumption.
Continued alcohol ingestion is associated with electrolyte abnormalities, potential worsening of gastritis, and onset of hepatitis and pancreatitis.
[edit] Related concepts
There are parallels with this concept in Homeopathic medicine. However ‘hair of the dog’ treatment is distinctive in that homeopathic medicines involve an extremely dilute quantity of a particular ingredient that is generally different from the causative agent - although often the ingredient does produce similar symptoms in higher concentrations.
One non-homeopathic medically effective symptomatic relief treatment that utilizes a similar concept is the treatment for postherpetic pain (neuralgia) of shingles by applying chili powder spray to the affected area. [3]
The concept of Vaccination may be seen as a similar idea in that it uses deactivated or less-dangerous but similar infectious agents to provide an immunity to a disease without having to expose the patient to the dangerous infectious agent itself. But vaccination is distinct from 'hair of the dog' treatments in that vaccines are applied beforehand to allow the body to develop defenses (antibodies), rather than after-the-fact.
[edit] Treatment notice
Medical professionals should be consulted regarding the proper treatment for hangovers, alcohol withdrawal, and withdrawal from other drugs.
[edit] Appearance in popular culture
- At one point in the LucasArts adventure game The Curse of Monkey Island, the player must mix a hangover remedy for an inebriated character consisting of egg, pepper, and “the hair of the dog that bit you.” However, for the purposes of the game, this means literal dog hair.
- “Hair of the dog” is popular as a song title; see "Hair of the Dog".
- In the Daria movie "Is It College Yet?" Quinn's co-worker is caught drinking a screwdriver at work and states that it's "just a little hair-of-the-dog."
- There is a hair-of-the-dog brewing company in Portland, OR.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Edwards, Steve (2004) A nine-mile walk on an eight-mile road: Terms for various states of drunkenness in Irish-English;
- ^ “Medline:Hangover treatment” National Institute of Health.
- ^ “Shingles: Hope Through Research”, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Health.
