In Victorian times (Queen Victoria died in 1901) laudanum was a popular painkiller and cough suppressant. A drink of laudanum, a solution of 10% opium and 90% alcohol flavoured with cinnamon or saffron, was often prescribed for coughs, or for "female troubles", from migraine to severe headaches to something called female "hysteria". I'll bet you felt better after a dose of that!
Robert would probably not carry laudanum in his bag as it was available without prescription in most pharmacies in the early 1900's. Opium itself has been known as a pain killer for centuries, and its highly addictive properties were often ignored when a powerful painkiller was required. It is important to remember that while physicians and surgeons knew that opium was effective as a painkiller, they did not know why it worked. The mechanisms of the brain and its receptors for opiates were simply not understood.
Unfortunately laudanum was also used by those who were not in pain as it was easily available in what were called Opium dens..but, I digress.
Robert would probably not carry laudanum in his bag as it was available without prescription in most pharmacies in the early 1900's. Opium itself has been known as a pain killer for centuries, and its highly addictive properties were often ignored when a powerful painkiller was required. It is important to remember that while physicians and surgeons knew that opium was effective as a painkiller, they did not know why it worked. The mechanisms of the brain and its receptors for opiates were simply not understood.
Unfortunately laudanum was also used by those who were not in pain as it was easily available in what were called Opium dens..but, I digress.
Physicians also prescribed other opium/alcohol compounds called paregorics. These had a far lower quantity of opium and the dosages were usually diluted in water. So, there would be a small bottle of some paregoric in Robert's bag as a painkiller. More effective than aspirin but less powerful than laudanum. And certainly less addictive than next week's topic..morphine and heroin.
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