Chlorodyne 1022133 152765215 2007-08-21T20:28:35Z Writtenright 618651 Minor punct. fixes [[Image:Chlorodyne advert.png|thumb|1891 advertisement for J. Collis Browne's Chlorodyne]] [[Image:Chlorodyne advert2.png|thumb|1891 advertisement for a rival brand of Chlorodyne]] '''Chlorodyne''' was the name for one of the most famous [[patent medicine]]s 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]], [[migraine]]s, etc. As its principal ingredients were a mixture of [[laudanum]] (an 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. ==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): <blockquote> "'''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, [[Essential oil|oil]] of [[peppermint]] 2 and glycerin 250 with alcohol (20 per cent) 450. Dissolve morphine hydrochloride 10 in the mixture. Add to it diluted [[hydrogen cyanide|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 </blockquote> 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 was 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. [[Category:Analgesics]] [[Category:Patent medicines]]