Articles Index

Copper Pennies and Bee Stings
Forwarded email claims that taping a copper penny over a bee sting (or hornet sting) will provide overnight relief from redness and swelling

Mastectomy Bill: Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act
Email flier urges women to sign an online petition in favor of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, which would require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy

Email: Asparagus Cancer Cure?
Emailed article attributed to a biochemist offers medical case histories collected with the help of alleged cancer expert 'Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S.' purporting to prove that eating asparagus may prevent and/or cure cancer.

Listerine Mosquito Control
Forwarded email claims spraying an outside area with Listerine mouthwash repels and/or kills every mosquito in the vicinity.

'Death Calls' Emit Killer Cell Phone Frequencies
Forwarded emails warn mobile phone users not to accept calls from certain numbers which allegedly transmit high-frequency signals causing brain hemorrhage and death.

Vicks VapoRub on Soles of Feet Relieves Coughing
Forwarded email claims that coughing in children can be stopped '100% of the time' by applying Vicks Vaporub to the bottoms of their feet and covering them with socks at bedtime

Ogling Breasts Increases Men's Lifespans
'Medical study' purportedly published in the New England Journal of Medicine claims research has shown that ogling women's breasts increases men's lifespans.

Email: Don't Drink Bottled Water Kept in Car
Bottled water cancer danger? Forwarded email warns women not to drink bottled water that has been left in a car because the heat supposedly releases cancer-causing toxins which 'leak' from the plastic into the water.

Swine Flu Update from Dr. Gitterle
Forwarded email from Dr. Marcus Gitterle of New Braunfels, Texas claims that swine flu (H1N1 flu) is spreading far more rapidly than officials admit and has infected 10 to 25 times more people than reported in the media.

Hair of the Dog
Hangover cures and folk remedies: a generous helping of 'hair of the dog' in anticipation of the aftermath of New Year's Eve. Caveat potor!

Halloween Warning: Candy-Flavored Meth
Circulating via email, a 'Halloween Warning' urges parents to instruct their children to beware of a new form of crystal meth that looks and smells like strawberry Pop Rocks candy and comes in other flavors such as chocolate, peanut butter, and cola.

Fan Death
Fan Death: If you have ever fallen asleep in a closed room with an electric fan running, you're lucky to be alive. That's what many folks in South Korea believe, at any rate, including government health authorities.

A Needle Can Save the Life of a Stroke Victim
Misinformative email flier claims pricking a stroke victim's fingers and ear lobes with a pin or needle until they bleed will relieve symptoms of paralysis, restore consciousness, and allow the patient to be safely moved.

Hand Sanitizer Hazardous to Children
Forwarded email cites danger of children licking or eating hand sanitizer, which contains a high percentage of alcohol and can cause accidental intoxication or alcohol poisoning

Aqua Dots Recall
TRUE: Forwarded emails and Internet postings warn that a popular children's toy called Aqua Dots ('Bindeez' in Australia) are made with a substance that breaks down into the 'date rape' drug GHB.

The Beetle Boy Saga
The unbelievable-but-apparently-true saga of 13-year-old Chandan Goswami of India, the boy who urinated live, winged beetles