[bazzargh]

Olive oil is still often used to clean out ear wax (which does cause intense ear aches). Are you sure it was the garlic and not the oil?

See eg http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/ourservices/ear,noseandthroat/audiolog... (for a non-woo, non-commercial reference).

In fact this used to be pretty much the only use for olive oil in the UK - before the mid-1950s, 'continental' cookery was unusual and olive oil was generally unavailable except through a pharmacist as an ear cleaner. http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Food-in-Britain-in-the-...

[vixen99]

It does have some anti-microbial action but it's known that the glycosinolates (found in onion family but also many other vegetables) have definitive antibacterial properties.