1891 advertisement for J. Collis Browne's Chlorodyne

1891 advertisement for a rival brand of Chlorodyne

Chlorodyne was the name for one of the most famous patent medicines sold in the British Isles. It was invented in the 19th century, by a Dr. J. Collis Browne, a doctor in the British Indian Army: its original purpose was in the treatment of cholera. Browne sold his formula to a pharmacist named Davenport, who advertised it widely, as a treatment for cholera, diarrhea, insomnia, neuralgia, migraines, etc. As its principal ingredients were a mixture of laudanum (alcoholic solution of opium), tincture of cannabis, and chloroform, it readily lived up to its claims of relieving pain, as a sedative, and for the treatment of diarrhea. Download high resolution version (524x850, 50 KB)Advertisement for J Collis Brownes Chlorodyne, 1891. ... Download high resolution version (524x850, 50 KB)Advertisement for J Collis Brownes Chlorodyne, 1891. ... Download high resolution version (443x774, 60 KB)1891 Advert for a rival brand of Chlorodyne. ... Download high resolution version (443x774, 60 KB)1891 Advert for a rival brand of Chlorodyne. ... Patent medicine is the term given to various medical compounds sold under a variety of names and labels, though they were for the most part actually trademarked medicines, not patented. ... The Indian Army in the time of the British Raj (1857–1947) See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post-partition) army of the Republic of India. ... Distribution of cholera Cholera (also called Asiatic cholera) is an infectious disease of the gastrointestinal tract caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium. ... Diarrhea in American English, (spelled diarrhoea in other anglophone countries) is a condition in which the sufferer has frequent and watery or loose bowel movements (from the ancient Greek word διαρροή = leakage; lit. ... Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterised by an inability to sleep and/or to remain asleep for a reasonable period during the night. ... Neurasthenia (also known as Neuralgia) was a term first coined by Beard in 1869 to describe a condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety and pessimism. ... Laudanum is an alcoholic tincture of opium, sometimes sweetened with sugar and also called wine of opium. ... Species Cannabis sativa Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis is a plant genus which includes the species Cannabis sativa and is also known as hemp, marijuana, marihuana, ganja, dope, pot, weed, grass or Mary Jane. ... Chloroform (also known as trichloromethane and methyl trichloride) is a chemical compound with formula CHCl3. ...

Imitations

Chlorodyne sold extremely well for many years; as its active ingredients were well known, local chemists shops would also make up cheaper generic versions for sale to their customers. Here is an example of such a generic formulation, from Materia Medica by William Hale-White & A.H. Douthwaite, 21st edition (1932):

"Tinctura Chloroformi et Morphinæ Composita intended to be an imitation of the proprietary medicine called chlorodyne. Mix chloroform 75, tincture of capsicum 25, tincture of Indian hemp 100, oil of peppermint 2 and glycerin 250 with alcohol (20 per cent) 450. Dissolve morphine hydrochloride 10 in the mixture. Add to it diluted hydrocyanic acid 50 and enough alcohol (90 per cent) to make 1000. Strength. 1 millilitre contains chloroform 7.5 centimils; morphine hydrochloride 1 centigram; acidum hydrocyanicum dilutum 5 centimils. Dose 5 to 15 minims - 0.2 to 1ml Species (incl. ... An essential oil, also known as volatile oil and ethereal oil, is a water-immiscible liquid produced by distillation from plant material that is used in perfumes, cosmetics, incenses, and in medicine. ... Categories: Plant stubs | Herbs | Lamiaceae ... Hydrogen cyanide is a chemical compound with chemical formula H-C≡N. A solution of hydrogen cyanide in water is called hydrocyanic acid or prussic acid. ...

Besides the generics, a number of rival sellers marketed their own branded versions of the formula, brands such as "Freeman's", "Teasdale's", and "Towle's" It can be seen from the illustrations that the authenticity of these rival brands was hotly contested.

Decline

Though the drug was effective in many ways, its high opiate content also made it very addictive, and deaths from overdoses, either accidental or deliberate, became a frequent occurrence. A common feature of the Coroner's report in such cases would be the description of the deceased's body being found in a flat or bedsit littered with empty Chlorodyne bottles. Over the decades of the twentieth century, the cannabis and chloroform were removed from the formulation, and the amount of opiates in the medicine were progressively reduced. The name of Collis Browne lives on in Britain in a mixture sold under the trade name "J Collis Browne's Mixture" for the relief of coughs and diarrhea. This modern formulation contains morphine and peppermint oil. The term opiate refers to the alkaloids found in opium, an extract from the unripe seeds of the opium poppy (). It has also traditionally referred to natural and semi-synthetic derivatives of morphine. ... A bedsit is a form of rented accommodation consisting of a single room with a shared bathroom and lavatory. ...