Web Page 3103 16th February 2024 First Picture: Tin of Elastoplast

Second Picture; Tube of Salvon

Third Picture: Wrights Coal Tar Inhaler

Fourth Picture: Lucozade Advert

Medical Things When we were young and living at home Mum always kept a well-stocked medical box or tin for use when we injured ourselves. A box that contained all sorts of country remedies plus the usual proprietary medical products. As my mother was an ex assistant hospital matron (she had to leave nursing when she married as was the norm in those days) hers had plenty of professional and unusual medical items. But what did the normal box contain here are some items I remember. Surgical scissors and tweezers, little gold safety pins, Elastoplast dressings for the scratched and bruised knees plus the shiny waterproof version Sleek. For the more serious injury out would come the little brown glass bottle of iodine which we all knew meant a stinging sensation would follow when it was applied using a cotton wool ball and it would leave a yellow stain on the skin but mum thought it was important. When it came to minor injuries the medicants of choice were often a tube of Savlon or a tin of Germoline whilst Golden Eye Ointment and Optrex with its eye bath were the major treatment for anything optical. Olive oil for earache was common and Zambuck for pain relief and every first aid kit always contained a thermometer and a packet of cotton wool and lint. Mother always had a plentiful supply of bandages and dressings, slings, medical pads and eye patches. I assume many of them came from her nursing days. I particularly remember one very large sling with many types of bandages illustrated on it. There was also a medical book but it contained lots of words that I did not understand then and still do not so I left it alone. The one thing that I really do remember about being ill at home is that it was the only time I was allowed to have Lucozade, I loved it. Another thing that I remember is when my mother applied a bread poultice to some part of my body, I don’t remember where or what it was for but I know I did not like it. The poultice was normally applied to draw out any infection from an injury, but what infection I had or what the injury was I really do not remember. The other medicant that I remember is the Wright Coal Tar Inhaler which was set up in my bedroom at night when I had a cold. The other medicant at this time was the dreaded Vick Vapour Rub or Inhaler Aspirin, Andrews Liver Salts, Alka Selter and many small bottles with preparations mixed together by the local chemist, the word pharmacist was rarely used in those days. Jonathon writes:- Liquorice All sorts are my very very favourite sweets Its quite amazing how a packet ALWAYS accidentally falls into the trolley at our local supermarket usually in the queue aisle where it is narrow and I guess my trolley knocks them off the little display hooks. I prefer the South African Beacon sweets to the Basset ones in the UK. As we spend 6 months each year in Johannesburg I get lots of opportunity. My favourites are the mini sorts.....they last longer. The best of all are the ones covered in hundreds and thousands and the all liquorice cylindrical ones. Mary Writes:- Just love these Allsorts sweets but these days limit my sugar intake. In 1992 I went to Australia to visit my sister in law & family & was asked to bring some. She says that the ones in Australia aren`t the same. She was very pleased with them. My son has also taken some out to her. On visits to the UK we make sure that some are ready & waiting. Griff Writes:- Peter has just written an article on Bassett liquorice allsorts and Bertie Bassett, the figure made up of liquorice all-sorts which has to be one of the all time best advertising figures ever known. Here is my association with Bertie Basset and my story. I was an aircraft engineering technical officer back in the 1990's working for the MOD at RAF Boscombe Down at the Empire Test Pilots School where top RAF pilots were trained to be test pilots, a very coveted job and highly skilled pilot job in the RAF. My main aircraft responsibility was to look after all engineering aspects of a BAC 1-II with a small team of aircraft engineers. The BAC 1-11 was used mainly for training test pilots on how to recover from a stall and the flat spin that would follow but enough of that aircraft. I also had, as a sideline the responsibility of an aircraft known as a Beagle Bassett which was brought into service every year in the Summer to train mainly Indian pilots stall warning characteristics and stall recovery procedures for a twin engine aircraft The Bassett sweet company somehow got to know about this aircraft at Boscombe and a 12" exact copy figure of Bertie Basset was produced to fly with the aircraft and he was ceremonially positioned on a hook at the back bulkhead of the cockpit as the aircraft mascot. Needless to say the pilots loved this mascot and our very own "Bertie Basset" always flew with the aircraft. I left Boscombe Down in 1995 for pastures new, so, is Bertie Bassett still flying and smiling at the two front pilots?.........I would like to think so. Picture No.1 Boscombe Bertie Bassett.

Picture No.2 Boscombe BAC 1-11

Melvyn (Griff) Griffiths, Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com