Mickey Starling
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Any parent can recall the many adventures that came with living with an infant during their teething stage. The frequent crying caused by the discomfort of sore gums could come at any time and often did in the middle of the night.
Imagine if there was a remedy for teething that also promised to calm your child while also cleaning their teeth and freshening their breath. In the late 1800s, such a potion was available under the name of Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup.
This concoction was marketed as a patent medicine, which meant they could put pretty much anything in it without labeling the contents. Many patent medicines were loaded with alcohol, and Winslow’s Soothing Syrup was no exception. Besides, alcohol, there was a high morphine content as well.
With these ingredients, it’s no wonder little Johnny stopped crying and slept well. This also explains why the little rascal sometimes never woke up. The babies who did awake were often addicted to the syrup or developed other serious health conditions, as morphine is particularly dangerous for small children. Thousands of deaths were later attributed to the syrup, which gained the nickname, “baby killer.”
Eventually, quite an uproar arose from concerned parents, causing Congress to enact the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. Their concerns went far beyond the syrup and included a variety of items that were causing addiction, poisoning and sometimes death. Congress’ actions required the labeling of items such as opiates, morphine or cannabis.
What seems incredibly odd about this deadly elixir is that it remained on store shelves until the 1930s, though the morphine was eventually removed and “Soothing” was removed from the label. Giving this syrup to a child should have been anything but soothing to a caring parent, but I suspect news traveled slowly back in those days.