Ridiculous History CLASSIC: Prohibition, Prescriptions and the Rise of 'Medicinal' Booze
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Apr 11, 2026 A dive into how Prohibition's legal landscape spawned a booming medicinal alcohol trade. Stories about doctors writing prescriptions that functioned as liquor permits. Pharmacies and distillers exploited loopholes and profited wildly. Tales of elite privilege, supply-chain corruption, and creative workarounds like concentrated grape juice and religious exemptions.
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Government Backed Medical Alcohol Loophole
- Prohibition created a sanctioned medical-alcohol loophole that doctors and the Treasury Department endorsed.
- The AMA reversed earlier views and the Treasury issued government prescription forms allowing physicians to prescribe “medicinal whiskey.”
Winston Churchill's 'Naturally Indefinite' Booze Note
- Winston Churchill used a doctor's note signed by Dr. Otto C. Pickard to get indefinite access to alcoholic spirits after an accident.
- The note prescribed spirits “especially at mealtimes” with quantity described as “naturally indefinite,” letting Churchill buy booze freely in 1932.
Alcohol Listed As Treatment For Many Conditions
- Doctors prescribed alcohol for dozens of conditions, many non-medical, expanding the loophole’s scope.
- Reported uses included cancer, anxiety, diabetes, snakebites, and lactation problems, making prescriptions easy to justify.