Vintage cold remedies
Oct 7, 2015 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
You love Luden’s?
Vintage cold remedies: this is a subject very relevant to my week. Now that the temperatures in Texas are dropping, I have my first sore throat and cold of the season. And the townspeople rejoiced… nope, not so much. As I sit here, nursing my third cup of tea and prepping for my fifth glass of water, I wonder – how would I tackle this unfortunate situation as a vintage maven?
To the research mobile! Beyond chicken noodle soup (yum!), water, tea, and plenty of rest, old school medical treatments get pretty interesting. One such option, which I feel hasn’t lost its luster over the years – booze. (Whatever did people during the Prohibition?) As an advertisement for Black & White Scotch Whisky states “The use of pure and wholesome stimulant is approved and recommended by medical men…” Scotch whisky, can’t get much more stimulating than that. And editor’s side note: hilarious that the term is medical men, not medical professionals – ah, the good ol’ days.
Then there’s all manner of oils – such as electric oil (a popular tonic in the Victorian era). But one of the favored products from the late 1800s is one of my beloved go to’s – Luden’s cough drops. I’ve always loved the taste of that sweet cherry flavor; it always makes me feel a little bit better. One of the coolest things about this company – it was a pioneer of a term that’s all the rage today: guerrilla marketing. William Luden handed out samples of his effective cough drops to under-the-weather railroad workers, creating national exposure in a time when that kind of publicity usually involved much greater effort and funding. Pretty darn clever, don’t you think?
Sorry for the short post this week dear readers; excuse me as I curl up with my box of Kleenex. Fun fact: Kleenex facial tissues debuted in 1925 in Ladies Home Journal. Starlets lauded the brand as a way to keep their skin looking wonderful. I’ll try and channel their Hollywood glamour over the next few days…
What’s your preferred cold remedy?
Ugh, sorry you’re poorly!
Hot, steamy showers. Hot tea with honey (and whiskey! just sayin). Some Vicks. Plenty of rest and my disreputable old flannel Lanz nightgown …… cinnamon toast.
Thanks Ellen for the well wishes and yes, I’ve been having some night caps to soothe the throat before bed. Still a bit off with my voice, but trying my best to stay cuddled up at night and getting extra sleep! Having two very dedicated pups helps as well. They are my nap buddies 😉