I was so sure it was a joke edit…
Wikipedia takes a lot of flak for being globally editable. It’s worthwhile to take that flak, exchange it for a grain of salt, then peruse Wikipedia at your leisure. That doesn’t mean it can’t ever be right in very bizarre ways.
This afternoon I had a case o’ the hiccups, and after about an hour I went to Wikipedia because I wondered how long I had to go before they were deemed incurable (about five weeks I guess?). Anyway, the article has a subsection called “Medical Treatment”, where I found this little gem:
Digital rectal massage[5] has also been effective in some long-term cases.
“Oh, a fine prank!” says I, “but I do think that fake reference must be funny. I shall click, now let’s see…”
Termination of intractable hiccups with digital rectal massage, courtesy of the Journal of Internal Medicine.
So there it is: the NIH would like you to know that you can cure hiccups by sticking your finger up your ass*. Amaze your friends, break the ice at parties!
* This only works for the person who owns the ass. Sticking your finger up your ass does not cure other people’s hiccups, which is too bad because talk about a great qualification for sainthood.
