I'm inclined to think that it can work and very well, depending on whether you tune the carb after installation, and whether there is enough vaccuum during engine operation to make the bottle resonate (draw in fluid).
If it made your engine "run like ****" I bet you either a. blocked or interfered with the intake very substantially (choking the engine all the time), or b. did not adjust the carb that was wasting a little gas, therefore flooding the engine after installation.
If you thread something or weld something deep into the intake tube, esp near the engine or the back of the carb (the stock tubes are short!), you will choke the life out of the engine.
If you just extended the "manifold" for the intake (maybe by a longer tube, or adding a rubber hose and a plastic/metal tube) by a few inches, it would probably make a huge difference, and by changing the length or the bend, you could probably nurture a "sweet spot" on the engine's RPM range.
I'm going to try making a boost bottle from a NOS energy drink bottle. I need a spare intake tube though.