In childhood ( long time ago) we were given onion juice as cough medicine. More interesting, my husband actually had diphtheria as a very young child. His family lived in the country on a farm. His 2 older brothers were sent running miles to every farm they could reach bringing back every ones supply of onions. These onions were juiced and force spoon fed to him non-stop for a couple of days and he was cured of the diphtheria. When modern doctors hear this, they can't believe he is fine, had no ill effects from the diphtheria. Carolyn in zone 9, Los Gatos, CA