During a pandemic, it is worth recalling which medications used for colds people who lived several centuries ago. What medications allowed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) to reduce his cold symptoms? We learn about the specifics he used from a letter he wrote in Mannheim, on February 22, 1778:

I HAVE been now two days confined to the house, and taking antispasmodics, black powders, and elderflower tea as a sudorific, because I have had a catarrh, a cold in my head, sore throat, headache, pains in my eyes, and earache; but, thank God, I am now better, and hope to be able to go out tomorrow, being Sunday.