It always depended on the relative who was dosing you.
Some made a concoction of rum (Gosling Black Seal was the fav with Bacardi Anejo running a close second), honey, steeped ginger, and boiling hot water, that was fed to you by the spoonful. Others, served ya hot milk with Scotch.
Thennn your chest and back were rubbed w/ rendered mutton fat mixed w/ camphor oil and maybe just for luck Vick's Vapour Rub was massaged under your nose and you gulped a tablespoon of Vick's and hot water.
Finally, you received a spring tonic of blackstrap molasses, sulfur powder, cod liver oil and egg whites mixed together to gulp w/o breathing under the watchful eye of the giver since they KNEW you'd spit it all into the toilet otherwise.
Agreeing it was all about making you too cockeyed/stunned to complain....