The name came from an area known as "the Jungle" on the outskirts of the dry town that was home to bootlegging and other illicit activities.
"[5] Other uses of the term for bootlegged or homemade alcoholic drinks appeared in U.S. and Canadian newspapers in the 1930s and the first two years of the 1940s (before the U.S. entered World War II).
The term gained more widespread use during the war, first among Australian and American troops in New Guinea beginning in late 1942 and early 1943.
Dr. William Sargant began to treat afflicted soldiers with large doses of a sedative called sodium amytal.
The idea behind this sleep narcosis treatment was to break the cycle of exhaustion and anxiety caused by combat stress reaction.
If the blood sugar level dropped too low, it could result in irreversible brain damage or even death.