When I was a kid, I would get a chesty cough, every winter, that would last for about 3 weeks (felt like FOR EVER), I would cough until I threw up... ugh.

Mum started to treat me herself, as it seemed the drs could not fix it. She cut an onion into slices, and put brown sugar on top, then would have me take 2 tablespoons of the liquid 2 times every day.

Totally disgusting taste, but, it worked. My cough would clear in about 3 days, and never reached the throwing up stage.