I’m not nearly old enough to have experienced that, but I don’t doubt it was helpful on some level, the name implies the presence of silver. Secondary bacterial infection is often more of a problem than the virus itself.
My own grandmother was widely renowned for having “saved” quite a few people during the big Spanish Influenza outbreak in the late teens. She never contracted it herself, but did go house to house in her rural community with an old, handed down preparation that is reputedly indian in origin. Pine needles, wild plants, that sort of thing. I’ve seen the “recipe” for it before, the handwritten original, on an old brown piece of paper, is in the possesion of an older relative. I’ve asked that it be left to me.
Pine needles, that would probably contain pycnogenol, which in concentrated form I have used with spectacular results. Arbor vitae is a needled shrub which probably has those effects which is why it means “tree of life.” If you have some, try cutting off some young tips and making a strong tea the next time you are sick and see what happens.
Perhaps you could get this recipe and share it with us???