An Infallible Cure for Hiccups

Abstract

To the Editor:— In 1938 a friend, the late Fritz Warndorf, founder of the Wiener Werkstadt movement in Austria in the 1880's, told me of an infallible cure for hiccups. A young Austrian actress had taught Warndorf the method. He said he had never known it to fail. His description of the method induced in me more than the usual quantum of Cartesian doubt. I was, however, willing to try. The method being simplicity itself, it was soon put to the test. Fill a glass with water (the level doesn't very much matter) and place in it a metal object such as a spoon, fork, or knife, and while slowly sipping the water hold the upper part of the metal handle (the lower part of the implement remaining in the water) against the temple. The hiccups will usually cease either immediately or within a minute. Since 1938 I have tried