One of the earliest recorded victims of chronic hiccups was the poet Aristophanes (circa 448-385 B.C.), a very hearty eater. On his physician's advice, he tried holding his breath and gargling water both with out success. In desperation, he learned how to tickle his nose until he sneezed, which helped somewhat as a counterirritant.
Because hiccup seizures are usually short-lived and only mildly painful, most people refuse to take them seriously. The victims are generally objects of ridicule. In most homes, a hiccup attack is still the signal to dust off all...
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