Tar in a jar

Does anyone remember Parrigarick (not sure on spelling), it was a liquid taken in a little warm water, it was lovely!, although I think it was banned in the 60’s.
I loved Rosehip Syrup as well.
Beechams Powders made me cough.

I remember all these and the names bring a comforting feeling! It was Gee’s Linctus, and I think Petrolagar was also known as Liquid paraffin for constipation, as was Syrup of Figs. Dr Collins Brown’s Mixture I remember fondly from hitching round the Greek Islands, getting an’upset stomach’ and enjoying the effects of its morphine content. Sadly no longer available.

As a child I had permanent constipation as we had no bathroom and a loo in the garden. I was given Petrolager , not sure of spelling. It was nice, like a thick yoghurt.

Oh yes Squiffy, Parrish's Food after an illness "to build me up", and maddyone I'd forgotten Delrosa.

I love this thread. Lots of memories.

I never had any of these. My mother never mentioned them. I'm not sure she even had any when she was a child - she doesn't mention them in her memoir. The only old-fashioned treatment she would use was the blue-bag for wasp stings (or was it bee stings?)

We had herbs in the garden but they were used for cooking only (thyme, parsley, mint). If we were poorly we might have had Lucozade.

In Germany they had cod liver oil and various herbal infusions for stomach and throat troubles. To bring a feverish temperature down the treatment was "Wadenwickel" - a cold towel wrapped around the calves. I never did that, it sounded messy to me. Did what I had learned in the Junior Red Cross - a cool sponge on the temples.

And when we were children in the 60s, healthy eating was unheard of - at least not like it is today. However we always had plenty of vegetables fresh from the garden and apart from chicken pox and measles, were never really ill.

Greyduster

I remember when the road menders were working locally, people used to take their children to inhale the fumes from the tar burner if they had a chest complaint.

After I was very ill with Whooping Cough, aged 6, I had a Wright's Coaltar Burner burning in my bedroom every night until I left home to get married!

Not sure if it worked, but years later when I was diagnosed with Asthma, the doctor told me I had actually been diagnosed with it aged 6! Of course there were no inhalers in the 1950s whereas now I use them every day.

Was anyone else given Parrish’s Food? It was a liquid tonic and not too bad to take. There were rumours that it contained arsenic, but I have read that this wasn’t true. I hope it wasn’t true, I was given it regularly for years! 😱

I remember when the road menders were working locally, people used to take their children to inhale the fumes from the tar burner if they had a chest complaint.

My mum used to talk about stuff called 'Radio Malt'.

Many years ago, wracked with abdominal pain, I was carted off to A&E where I was swiftly examined for suspected appendicitis. The doctor in charge ordered kaolin and morphine which solved the problem after a short space of time. The problem may have been a bad mushroom in a sauce. I have occasionally used K&M since so I don't regard it as a foible of past times. Cod liver oil was one of the post-war provisions (like orange juice) to support childhood development. I agree it tasted awful. One family member still takes it every day and says the version available in France has had the bad taste removed to make it more palatable.

I loved malt and cod liver oil and also Scott’s Emulsion (I was a strange child!). I gave Minadex to my children but they preferred Haliborange liquid.

Yes Sparklefizz, Minadex was nasty stuff. 🤢

When I was ill, my mother always bought me Lucozade.

I loved Virol too. My sisters and I formed an orderly queue at the pantry door and my mother dispensed tablespoons of it in the winter to ward off coughs and colds.
I liked Jeyes linctus (sp) too, this was mixed with hot water and given in a little cup to sip.

I absolutely loved Virol, but hated Cod Liver Oil, not surprising when you think what it was. I loved my daily spoonful of Delrosa though.

I loved Virol too.
And anyone remember that foul lime green mixture called Minadex? Yuk.

I loved cod-liver oil and malt and was given a large spoonful every morning. It was like dark sticky toffee/treacle and tasted great.

I absolutely loved the malt stuff … Virol I really licked my lips for that one
cod liver all was awful
my Nan gave me a thimbleful of neat whiskey to rub on toothache
Salt folded in a handkerchief warmed by the fire and put on the ear for earache
Vicks went everywhere nose, chest, cheeks, in front of ear

Yes, I'm another who loved Virol! There was Virolax too if I remember right.
Dr Collis Brown for upset tums.

Another one who loved Virol here too!

I loved Virol too. Perhaps this is a different thing. I have a big jar of extract of malt in my cupboard - my daughter and I have a big spoonful every now and then - it is on the sweet side and tastes lovely.

Cod liver oil and malt - yum!

We don't think it was Virol because it wasn't sweet. We think it was more to do with malt. We had it separate to our cold liver oil and orange juice.

Thinking back winter mornings were a nightmare. Spoonfuls of foul tasting concoctions

I loved malt and cod liver oil, too. There was also Scott’s Emulsion, cod liver oil in a different guise. Milk of Magnesia. Various ‘tonics’, which I think contained iron.

The one I got had raw egg, malt and some sort of emulsion and orange. sherry may have been given too.