Why did some cowboys pour whiskey on themselves when they got shot?

Question

Not sure if this is the right place to post this in, but anyway....I've seen it done a million times in movies, and I realize it heals them, but can anyone explain the medical side of it?

Answer 1

To kill the germs, and begin healing.

Answer 2

The same reason cowboys in movies do anything else: It looks bada$$ and cool.

It doesn't heal them but it will disinfect the wound.  Hospitals use alcohol to clean wounds to this day (not whiskey of course).

Answer 3

to keep the wound from getting infected

Answer 4

Liquor has antiseptic properties, and helped to keep the wound from festering.

..

Answer 5

Alcohol is a powerful antibiotic.

Answer 6

Coz they pull a painfull looking face when they do it n makes em look tough good for the movie

Answer 7

The alcohol sterilizes the wound by killing the germs. Other than that, it doesn't do too much.