You do what with it?

From the latest medical scare story on MSNBC : A new study warns about improper use of Vicks VapoRub for children under a certain age. […] Dr. Sherman says a safer alternative for infants is saline. For everyone else, he says, just stick to some chicken soup. “As far as the common cold goes, there’s really no study showing anything that speeds it along,” he said. So has Dr Sherman totally missed the point about what Vicks VapoRub is supposed to do?