Asafetida, asafoetida or asphidity bags were a common sight, or rather a common smell during the late 19th and early 20th century. These little bags were purchased at local pharmacies and stuffed with various pungent herbs to ward off diseases and evil spirits. The herb-filled bundles were also used to treat asthma, colds, bronchitis, anxiety, polio, measles and hysteria. In 1918, asafoetida was approved by the U.S. Pharmacopedia to ward off the Spanish flu. Asafetida is a soft brown, lumpy gum resin from the genus Ferula in the parsley family. It had a strong garlic or rotten egg odor. Combined with onions, garlic, fennel and other herbs made asafetida bags a really stinky accessory. My suspicion is that the smell coming from the bags helped people social distance, thus lowering germ transmission!