Polite Dissent

In Amazing Spider-Man #39 (August 1966), Peter Parker has a bad head cold and goes to visit the doctor. Dr. Bromwell examines him and states:

You have a whopper of a cold son – but some anti-histamine pills and a B-12 shot will have you as good as new again!

First, Dr. Bromwell recognizes that Peter just has a cold, so does not give him any antibiotics. They would not do any good, as a cold is a viral infection and not caused by bacteria.

Anti-histamines are effective against certain cold symptoms, such as sneezing and runny noses. They don’t work against every cold or every symptom. Since Peter is complaining of sneezing, anti-histamines are a good choice (they were prescription-only drugs in the 1960s). A decongestant would be another good choice, and better for his nasal congestion, though it wouldn’t do much for the sneezing.

B-12 shots are useful for people who have a Vitamin B-12 deficiency. The shots do not have any significant affect on individuals with normal B-12 levels. While many patients believe that B-12 injections will give them more energy, there is no good evidence to support this. There is some weak evidence showing B-12 injections will help certain medical conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but a B-12 shot will do absolutely nothing for a cold. Giving a B-12 injection to Peter would do nothing other than give him a sore arm and a thinner wallet. However, in defense of Dr. Bromwell, he is following standard medical practices of the 1960s, so judged in that light he is correct in his choice of giving Peter a B12 injection.