379. Shahjahani Flu

In the mid-1600s, soon after the Mughal emperor Shahjahan established the capital city of Shahjahanabad, a major flu swept through the city, striking many including the emperor himself. The royal physician devised a spicy recipe to clear blocked sinuses and as an all-purpose remedy to keep the body warm, and a method of overnight cooking was utilized as a way to kill the germs in Delhi’s contaminated water lines.

So what resulted?