Throwing out the phlegm

I've been sick and I don't think I'm getting better any time soon. When I was growing up, Mom used to give me whiskey when I had a cough; just enough, usually in the bottlecap, to relax me enough that I could sleep through the night without coughing so much that I'd tear my own throat.

Alas, I have no whiskey on hand these days and my usual solution to colds --honey and lemon juice in boiling water-- isn't doing a whole lot of good for my cough.

Being an internet detective like I am, I googled "home remedies for cough" on a whim, just to see what le internet decided to give me. My first hit got me this sexy bit of advice:

In a large vessel just simply take plain water and boil it. Now inhale these vapors of steam by covering your head region with the towel. Taking deep breaths in between is advisable. You may cough in the beginning and every thing will be fine in ten minutes, it will help you later to throw out the waste (phlegm).

I was especially appreciative of the advice to take deep breaths in between, as well as the reassurance that later I can throw out the phlegm.

When I had regular insurance I had a doctor from South America. He prefaced every visit with, "I'm not so good with the English, please keep your patience ready". I loved him, despite a deeply ingrained dislike of Western medicine, and when I read this paragraph on the web I totally imagined his voice in my head.