Hair of the dog
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The phrase "Hair of the Dog" is used to refer to a drug consumed with the intent of lessening or postponing the effects of withdrawal from that drug. For example, it is frequently used to refer to alcoholic beverages consumed with the intent of lessening the effects of a hangover. It is a shortened form of the phrase "The Hair of the Dog That Bit You". The phrase is reported to come from the belief that consuming a concoction involving the hair of the dog would prevent becoming afflicted with the diseases such as rabies that the dog may carry. It is possible the phrase arose as a metaphor for that idea and never had a basis in practice.
Homeopathic medicine is largely based on this idea. A formula for a homeopathic dog allergy medicine might contain dog hair, though through dilution there may easily be none remaining in the completed medicine. Vaccination can be seen as a similar idea in that it uses deactivated or less-dangerous but similar infectious agents to provide an immunity to a disease without having to expose the patient to the dangerous infectious agent itself.
"Hair of the Dog" is also the name of a song and an album by rock band Nazareth.
Hair of the Dog Brewing is a microbrewery located in Portland, Oregon